


The Importance of Foreplay

by Jinn_Jinn



Category: Real Person Fiction, Youtube RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Caspar the seducer, Dating, Developing Relationship, F/M, Foreplay, Laspar, Laspar4Life, Laspar5ever, May/December Relationship, Real person fanfiction - Freeform, Romance, Sex, Slight trigger warning, Slow Burn, Some Sexiness, Team Gleam, Vloggers, YouTube, cute couple, long story, mature - Freeform, mention of miscarriage, sprinkleofglitter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-08-24 05:25:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 66,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8358976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinn_Jinn/pseuds/Jinn_Jinn
Summary: Caspar Lee has decided to settle down and believes that Louise is that special one for him. Too bad he is not Louise's type at all, so now he's made it his mission to prove that he's all she'll ever want in a man and he'll do everything in his power to win her. Louise has no idea what Caspar's up to until she realizes that the boy has become a man and she starts to like it.





	1. Emily & Theo are Always Right

**Author's Note:**

> No one asked for this. I did it because I wanted to exercise my ability to write foreplay because writing sex can be intensely boring. As usual, Louise is my muse, but I got tired of Joe and decided to focus on Caspar this time. #Laspar is one of the smallest ships I've seen with very little fanfic to show for it. For those few who read me, I hope you like a slow build, though I do have about 70% of it completed.

No one had recognized Caspar Lee when he got on his plane for his holiday visit to South Africa. His face had been so downcast and upset one would think he was heading to a funeral. When he arrived he had put on a brave, cheerful face that fooled his family for the most part. He didn’t want to spoil the holidays for his loved ones and he had brought everyone lovely gifts, but his heart wasn’t completely in it, mostly because he was nursing something of a broken heart.

Caspar could not complain; he had a great life. He had family, friends, a home and a career that left him plenty of time to enjoy life to the fullest. This included girls; lots of girls. He loved them and they loved him back and for years it had been enough until he got a very ugly scare. A girl he had been seeing off and on informed him that she was pregnant. It shook him to the core, so much so that instead of seeking his friends, he sought out his mother; the steady rock in his life. At first she was livid that he had been so reckless, but then she quickly calmed and started giving him advice about pregnancy, babies and parenthood. It was what he needed to hear and knowing he had his family’s assurance, he actually began to look forward to being a dad.

He had woken to her crying in pain and he had to carry her into a taxi. His arms and clothes had been smeared with blood and fluids. He paced around the waiting room, trembling; never had he been in such a frightening situation. Around the three-month mark she lost the baby, and Caspar knew a hurt that would linger with him for a life time. It was only worsened when the girl seemed relieved and eager to return to their former lifestyle. They drifted apart, which was probably for the best. Caspar tried to be normal, but found it harder to recover and his old life was unsatisfying. His friends had been amazing through the whole ordeal and he was forever grateful to them. Because of them, he slowly came around and thrived again, but perhaps not surprisingly, found dating to be more difficult. The usual girls he use to like were no longer what he desired. He suddenly craved stability. A girl who was pretty and sensible; someone who could calm the crazy in him.

Caspar started seriously looking, and he knew what he liked. He had a soft spot for blondes, he loved them funny, intelligent and a little weird. For a few months he looked, until at a convention he realized that he’d known her all along.

Caspar hadn’t seen Louise since the ordeal and when they reunited at the hotel with all their friends, he threw his arms around her as he usually did and was pleasantly surprised when she gave him a lingering hug and a stroke on his cheek. As a mother, she could sympathize utterly about parental pains and had texted him often during the whole thing with comforting words. On a particularly moody day, she came to his flat and cleaned up the sty he had made during his bought of depression. She had given him a facial and fed him soup. He had tucked himself in Louise’s warm arms and was lulled by the scent of her perfume. The last thought he had was that he had never loved a woman more than Louise that night. Now, months later, throughout the entire trip she fussed over, teased and smiled at him with such sweet sincerity that he felt spoilt and it went straight to his heart.

Holy shit was he really so stupid that he hadn’t realized that the perfect girl was actually one of his dearest friends? Why had he not noticed her like this before? She was beautiful, glamorous, smart and funny. For goodness sakes they’ve been teasing the internet with #Laspar for years! And why not make something real out of that? He could be good for her. He could be just as much a friend, a lover and a partner if she’d let him.

It took him a few months to chalk up the nerves to ask her out. Finally, at a recent holiday party being hosted by their managing company – after downing some liquid courage – he asked her out on a date.

She had laughed, stroked his cheek and said something about jokes. She hadn’t taken him seriously and before he could convince her that he was, she was being dragged to the dance floor by Hazel and some other girls. Caspar was stunned by the rejection, but wasn’t completely discouraged. She hadn’t understood clearly, so he was determined to try again tomorrow morning before they all departed for different destinations.

He had set his phone to wake him up early. He ended up hitting the snooze button and rolling into his sheets. By the time Caspar opened his eyes it was nearly check out time and he was beyond upset with himself. He threw on his clothes and went racing down the hall to where she was staying only to find the maid who informed him that she had already vacated. Like a madman he rushed down the stairs and nearly knocked her over while she was vlogging her exit.

“Ow! Steady on.” She protested and looked up at Caspar with a mixture of mild concern and irritation. “Caspar is your shirt inside out?”

Not only was his shirt inside out, it was backwards; the tag clearly under his chin. “Oh shit! Um, sorry, it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to see you off. I’ll miss you.” He mumbled.

Louise instantly softened and tugged at his shirt tag. “Aw, that’s so sweet of you. Hashtag Laspar.”

With her attention now his, recklessly he dove right in. “Speaking of Laspar, you want to go on a date with me?”

“Tonight? No. I got to go home. Maybe after Christmas. We can talk about wedding plans then.”

Caspar felt his excitement drop to his feet. She thought he was joking and playing up the Laspar. “No, Louise, I meant-”

“Louise, our rides here!” Madison called to her and before Caspar could save the situation she waved good bye to him, grabbed her suitcase and left.

This left him in the situation he was currently in right now; in South Africa feeling crushed and wondering where he went wrong. When he wasn’t with his family, he was sitting down watching all the Louise videos he could get his hands on; pining.

This did not escape the attention of two intelligent ladies. Theodora and Emily mused over Caspar as they watched him watch his fifteenth sprinkleofglitter video this morning.   

“She’s a friend of his, isn’t she?” Emily asked her daughter as they prepared breakfast.

“Looks more than just a friend by the way he’s looking at her.” Theo mused as an honest to God pout formed on her brother’s lips as he watched Louise interact with Dan in the video.

Emily now felt a touch more concerned. “She’s pretty. A bit older than him though.”

“A bit. I believe she’s divorced and has a little girl. Don’t think it matters much really.” Her daughter added.

“Oh.” She said then called out loudly, hoping he could hear her with his headphones on. “Caspar, who is that lovely girl you’re watching? Caspar!”

Theodora solved the problem by throwing a tangerine at him. He yelped and looked around.

“I was asking about the pretty blonde woman you’re watching.” Emily said now that she had his undivided attention.

Caspar glanced sideways awkwardly. “What girl?”

His sister sighed and rolled her eyes. “The one you’ve been watching off and on for the past three days when you thought no one was looking. What’s her name again? Lois?”

“Louise aka sprinkle of glitter.” Caspar clarified then wished he hadn’t and then decided that he didn’t care. “I asked her out twice before the holidays. She said no.”

“Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” His mother clicked her tongue in sympathy.

Caspar grabbed his laptop and got off the sofa and shuffled towards the kitchen so he could sit on the stool before them. “She thought I was joking and playing it up for the camera. Before I could convince her I was being serious, she was gone.”

“So she didn’t actually say no?” Theodora asked, gesturing with a butter knife.

“No.”

“Then you still have a chance. Ask her again. Easy.”

Caspar sighed. “It’s not that easy. She’ll just think I’m playing with her.”

“Well darling how did you present yourself when you asked her the last two times?” His mum asked.

“The first time we were both a little drunk at a Christmas party and the second time was the next day. I woke up late, ran down to find her and realized I had my clothes inside out and backwards.” He said honestly as he started to graze over the food they were making.

“Sounds like something you’d do.” His sister mused before slapping his nimble fingers away from some toast.

“I think the next time you see her you should present yourself soberly and well dressed.” Emily advised, then glanced at the video and frowned at it. “Is that how you hug her? It looks like you’re choking her.”

“I’m not choking her. I’d never hurt a girl.”

“Not true, he choked her once years ago during a rehearsal for Amity Fest. Dragged her by her neck and nearly dropped her on the floor.” His sister said nonchalantly.

“NO I DIDN’T! Oh wait I did.” He recalled suddenly feeling incredibly embarrassed with himself. He quickly tried to think back to his interactions with her and suddenly came to the realization that he hadn’t been quite as gentle as he supposed.

Emily was mildly appalled. “Caspar, manhandling a woman is no way to show affection. Do all you boys treat her so poorly?”

Caspar shook his head vigorously. “We joke around with all the girls. Besides, Alfie and Joe would kill anyone who hurt Zoe and Tanya’s got Jim. We’d never hurt them, especially not Louise.... Joe’s actually very mindful of her when we go to conventions.”

“Sounds like Joe.” Emily agreed.

Theo pushed a full plate in Caspar’s direction. “It’s cute actually. A few people on the commentaries ship them; Hashtag Jouise.”

A small knife of jealousy stabbed at Caspar and he pouted. “Laspar has been around longer and it sounds better too.”

“Mum, she has three videos; count them, three, with the thumbnail of Joe giving her a kiss on the cheek. Not to mention the Valentine’s Day video where she pretended to reveal a crush on Joe. Oh and my personal favorite, the vlog of Joe going to Louise’s hotel room to help her PUT.ON.HER.DRESS. Didn’t they dance at one point too?”

“Oh my God, please shut up.” Caspar growled. “Joe doesn’t like her that way and neither does she.”

“And yet if Joe got it into his little head to ask her out he probably would have done it with a lot more style.”

“Mum, make her stop!” He looked at his plate and pushed it away. “I can’t even eat.”

Emily waved a hand at both of her children. “Enough, the both of you. Caspar with all due seriousness, what is your intentions with Louise?”

Caspar was not one to be serious for long, but there was no joke in his tone. “I want to go on dates with her. I want her to see me as boyfriend material. I want her to know I am serious because I know she doesn’t date idiots and I have no desire to be one.” He sighed heavily. “Ever since the baby……I dunno….. my old life has lost something. I need something good and stable. Going out and partying is still fun, but some peace and quiet would be nice too. Louise showed me during that whole mess what kind of loving, kind, generous _woman_ she is and I want to see the rest. Guys, I need help.”

Emily felt a well of pity for her son and it mobilized her. “Oh Caspar, just be sincere and honest with her.”

“And stop with the manhandling.” His sister added, feeling a little bad about teasing him. “In fact, don’t touch her at all. Be subtle. I know it’s not your strength, but Louise is a proper British lady. Start with conversations that are non-sexual in nature. Talk about yourself and the family. Listen to her talk and see if you like what she says.”

“Holding her hand would be a good start. An occasional text message asking how her day went. Send her flowers when it’s appropriate. Like on her birthday or if she’s having a bad day. Don’t overdo it.” Emily added.

“She likes to go out and have drinks. Buy her a drink and don’t go all out with the flirting. You tend to leer when you get into it.” Theo commented with a wrinkle of her nose.

Caspar’s head whirled with all the information being thrown at him. He pulled out his phone and started typing away at it as the women in his life gave the help he craved.

“Now Caspar remember that these are ideas, not everything is mandatory. If Louise consents to being with you then listen to her and she’ll tell you what she likes and dislikes. Respect and understand that her child comes first in all things. Finally, never forgot about foreplay.”

“Mum!”

“Foreplay is more than what you do in the bedroom, Caspar. It’s a seduction of mind and body. It takes time so be patient.”

“And Caspar. If she’s not interested, then you have respect that. There are other women in the world and you’re a good catch.” Theo concluded with a shoulder shrug.

That night after another successful round of family togetherness, Caspar lay in his childhood bed and looked at his phone. He had thought and thought about what kind of message he wanted to send Louise. He has written and deleted at least three times.

“Subtle.” He murmured to himself, then sighed. Finally, he typed two sentences and slowly hit send.

* * *

 

A couple thousand miles away Louise’s phone trilled at her. It was snowing prettily outside and Darcy, nearly ten years old, was cuddled beside her in bed, asleep. Her cats were bunched together at her feet. Louise had to admit that life was good right this moment and she was pleased to see a message from a friend.

**I hope you and Darcy have a Happy Xmas. How are you?**

She was touched by his thoughtfulness and immediately replied back.

**Happy Xmas to you and yours in South Africa! It must be quite warm! I’m cozy and I have the whole family in bed with me. It’s snowing outside.**

Caspar sat up on the bed the minute he received a message back and grinned at her reply. She was texting! They could text! Here was his chance to begin. His first response was to text something about knowing how to warm her up, but quickly stomped that down.

**Snow’s nice but I miss the beaches here. Miss the family too. Got so many relatives. Mum’s been feeding everyone and I think I gained a stone.**

She felt a pang, as she always does when someone mentions their mum.

**Appreciate her, Caspar. They’re the best thing in the world.**

He sobered a bit, remembering about her video about her mum and cancer.

**I do. You should come down to South Africa to meet her. She’d like you. If you bring Darcy she’d have tons of animals and kids to play with…….I mean if you’d like to.**

For a few minutes there was no reply and Caspar worried he had been too forward. Then his phone beeped.

**It sounds like fun. Thanks for inviting me and Darcy. You’re such a sweet friend.**

Caspar looked at her message and gave his reply some thought.

**It’s an open invite. Whenever you want…….You’re more than just a friend especially since what happened. #LASPAR**

She felt a pang for Caspar, thinking about what happened to him and was pleased that he found her so helpful and trustworthy.

**Thank you dear Caspar. Good Night. #LASPAR**

It was a start. A slow start, but Caspar knew this was a step in the right direction.


	2. Not Quite A Valentine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caspar takes the first steps to dating Louise and gets a little banged up.

Christmas came and went and soon Caspar was back at his flat in London. His friends greeted him and they decided to celebrate with a night out. While he had as much fun as ever, the ladies he kept clear away. He had a clear objective this year and even though patience was not his best virtue he knew he’d have to be if he wanted Louise to take him seriously. He just hoped, really hoped, that she liked him.

 

* * *

 

He tried not to be stalker-ish when it came to her, but he had to figure out a way to see her. Fortunately, Gleam and Youtube tended to keep a somewhat public itinerary at the offices of places and meetings all the talent had to be present for. He also made a game of swiping Louise's Gleam assistant, Maddy’s tablet and adding little notes to vex her all the while finding out exactly when she had to come down to London for business. Much to his delight, Louise was coming just a week before Valentine’s Day.

Perfect.

* * *

 

“Mummy, can we make cupcakes for my Valentine’s Day party or can you buy some please?” Darcy asked as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. Louise dragged her suitcase, snatched her keys and managed to clasp her purse before shutting the door behind them.

“We’ll see if I can find an easy recipe and we’ll experiment when I get back.”

“I’ll record it for you, Mum. Then maybe you can show me how to edit some more.” Darcy said excitedly.

She had developed an aversion to the camera as she got older, which Louise respected, but grew much more interested in behind the camera work instead. Louise had set her up with a simple laptop, an editing software and one of her old cameras and watched with pride as her precious daughter pieced together and edited small videos and pictures. She secretly couldn’t wait for the day when she could put up a video on Youtube and have Darcy’s name displayed proudly next to the EDITED BY sign.

“That sounds brilliant. Now remember that your dad is picking you up after school. Mummy has to go to meetings in London.” She explained as she drove them down the familiar streets to school.

“Are you going to find a hot guy in London?” She asked.

“Darcy! Why would you think that?” Louise said, surprised.

Darcy shrugged. “We heard Violet’s mum say that there are no guys in North Hampton and all the hot ones are in London.”

“Some mothers, honestly.” She muttered under her breath. ”I’m going down to London for meetings. Maybe I’ll see some friends, but no dating and no hot guys. You’re my Valentine’s and no one’s replacing you. Now give me a kiss.”

Darcy obediently kissed her mother and jumped out of the car. “Love you, bye!” She waved before running off to join her friends.

Louise shook her head and smiled to herself as she drove off to the train station. Darcy was clearly too young to be considering anything romantic, much less for her mother’s sake!

* * *

 

The trip and the check-in at the hotel went as smoothly as expected. Louise had been thinking about Darcy and cupcakes when she found a familiar face opening the door to the Gleam offices for her.

“Caspar, hi! What are you doing here?” She asked pleasantly surprised.

“My internet at home wasn’t working so I thought to edit and upload some of my videos here.”

“Ugh, don’t you hate it when that happens?” She sighed as they walked together. “I’m here for a meeting. Hazel’s invited me for drinks later tonight.”

“Oh….well if your lunch is free want to get something?” Caspar offered with a winning smile. “I got nothing else to do either.”

“Well, alright, just could you order it in? I don’t feel like traveling around. I think I wore the wrong shoes because these are killing me!”

This hadn’t been quite in the plan. Caspar had wanted to take her somewhere nice, but he knew when to scramble for a Plan B. “Sure, what you want?”

“A sandwich. A big fuckin’ sandwich, please.” She replied before disappearing behind some office doors.

Caspar’s mind whirled. Time to create a not-so-romantic-but-still-romantic-lunch!

* * *

 

Louise had been professional until she stepped right out of the meeting. At that point, she kicked off her shoes and wondered why she even bought them.

Caspar suddenly leaped out of nowhere and gave her a good scare. “Caspar! Stop it!”

“No!” He said, suddenly crestfallen. “I wasn’t trying to scare you. I wanted to surprise you! I got lunch ready!”

She looked him over and frowned, surprises always put her on edge. “Oh. Where is it?”

“In an empty meeting room. Come on. I got it all set up.” He said and gestured for her to follow him.

“Caspar please don’t let it be a prank. I really can’t handle it and my feet are-” She came to a stop when she walked into the room, dumbfounded.

A flannel tartan was spread out on a section of the table. Two sandwiches were laid out on either side along with a large Starbucks drink and a bottle of water. Two stems of flowers in someone’s tall coffee cup were between them along with what appeared to be a battery operated votive flickering weakly.

“You like it? I hope you like chicken.” Caspar said as he moved around her so he can pull back her chair.

Louise was flabbergasted by the thoughtfulness put into the meal, and touched. “I….chicken is fine. Caspar, what is this?” She asked, taking a seat.

“Lunch, obviously.” He replied casually as he took his seat across from her. “Valentine’s is almost here and I thought about adding a little atmosphere to the meal. You know, relaxing.”

“Oh.” She said wincing a little when her heels and toes ached. “This is nice. Nice to get those shoes off too.”

“Got something for those!” He opened a plastic bag he had nearby and pulled out some small folded flats. “NuFoots Women’s Shoes Ballet Flats. I think they’re more socks than shoes, but they might be more comfortable.”

“They sound perfect. I can’t wait to put them on.” Louise said, pleased by Caspar’s thoughtfulness.

She had just gotten a good grip on her sandwich before she realized that Caspar had disappeared under the table. Before she could even register what was going on he was slipping one flat over her foot. Her knee jerk reaction to suddenly having someone touching her foot was to kick. Caspar dodged the kick, but in doing so rammed his head against the table. Louise shrieked and looked under the table worriedly.

“Oh my God! Caspar are you alright???”

He groaned and rolled on the carpet, clutching his head. “That’s what I get for not asking permission.”

“I’m so sorry. Come up and let me check your head.”

He slowly got up and plunked himself down on a chair with a pained moan. Louise quickly moved around and examined his head. Her breath was warm against his head and he could smell her perfume, so it might have been worth it.

“Honestly, Caspar, you are so impulsive. I could’ve knocked your teeth out.” She brushed her fingers through his soft blond hair. “You’re not bleeding. Thank God for a hard head.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you look like an angel when the light hits you just like that.” Caspar said looking up at her, admiring the view.

Louise rolled her eyes at him and smiled. “Maybe you are delusional. Eat your lunch.”

“But the other shoe…..”

“You could put it on me after lunch, Prince Charming. This Cinderella isn’t going anywhere.” She promised before taking a big bite of her sandwich.

Pleased with the analogy, Caspar agreed.

There was no daintiness in their eating. They were both hungry and ate with gusto while discussing the little bits of their lives they thought were interesting. Caspar inhaled his food in his eagerness to place the other shoe. She didn’t understand why he was so keen to be helpful, but she wasn’t going to complain. She was full and her drink was sweet; it’s all that mattered.

Lulled to fullness, she did not even resist when Caspar moved around so he could finally put the flat on her other foot. He grasped her ankle gently, lifting her foot a bit and with great care slipped the flat over it. But then he did something unexpected.

He slowly slipped his fingers underneath the edges of the flat. Any other person would think that he was merely making sure none of the edges folded inward, but he took his time running his fingers around her, the tips grazing against her skin in such a way that made her tingle. She had always been ticklish, but there was no humor to the touch. It felt warm, comforting; a touch intimate. She flushed when he suddenly picked up the other foot and did the same thing along the edges.

Louise sucked down her Starbucks drink with more vigor and coughed.

Caspar blinked at her cough, having been completely concentrating on the smoothness of her skin. “You alright? How are the flats?”

She choked out hoarsely, “Feel fine. Thank you.”

“Great. Oh, I got you these.” He stood up and plucked the two Gerber flowers in the coffee mug. “They’re not in the best shape, but it was a last minute idea.”

Seeing him look so sheepish as he offered her the pink little flowers touched her unexpectedly. “That’s very nice of you Caspy. All of lunch was really nice. When did you get so sweet?”

Caspar offered a big smile. “I’ve always been sweet. This is just the first time you’ve noticed.”

“You mean when you aren’t hugging me so tight that I think I might pass out.” She teased, taking them from his hand.

“I’d never do that. At least not anymore.” He said sincerely. “So, what now?”

“Back to the hotel for a nap, I think. Hazel might want to stay late.” She sighed, standing up.

“Is it just you two?” He asked as he cleaned up their lunch.

“Possible, unless we meet a couple of nice gentlemen.” She smiled, helping him. “After all it’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the air.”

That idea left a sour taste in his mouth, but he knew he couldn’t say so and decided a teasing tactic would work best. “You don’t need to meet anyone, you got me!”

“Do I really have you?” She teased, arching a well-made brow.

“Of course.” He said coming a little more serious. “LASPAR for life.” Impulsively he took her little hand in his and brought it up to his mouth for a tiny kiss.

  _‘Oh, he was good’_ Louise thought as her heart skipped a beat. “Caspar, you sweet boy.”

* * *

 

Caspar had left a nice warmth in her heart which kept her in a good mood through her entire night out with Hazel. When she woke up the next morning with a hangover and no phone number from a cute guy she wasn’t too miffed. However, the knock on the door was unexpected and irritated her poor head. Hopefully though it was room service with some breakfast and pain killers. It turned out it was room service with her painkillers and her breakfast……..and something unexpected.

Pink and white roses were carried in by another server and truly they were the loveliest bunch she’d seen in a while. She thanked the staff and admired her bouquet. She looked for a card and quickly found it.

_I thought I could do better than just two sad little flowers. Happy Early Valentine’s Day! – Caspar_

 The warmth in her heart came flowing back.

A couple kilometers away Caspar was quietly eating his cereal. His oldest mate Josh joining him as they quietly munched on breakfast. His phone beeped and he quickly picked it up when he noticed it was a text from Louise.

**You sweet, sweet boy. I owe you a kiss.**

Caspar grinned triumphantly. **I can’t wait.** He then set his phone aside.

“What was that about?” asked Josh around a spoonful of cereal.

“Hm? Oh it’s just a girl.” Caspar said convincingly casual.

“Looks like more than just a girl to me by the smile on your face.”

He smiled and looked down almost bashfully. “I hope she’ll be more than just a girl.”

* * *

 

Valentine’s came and went. Caspar didn’t care. He was waiting impatiently for the next time Louise would come down to London which was fast approaching. The last text message was one he read and reread often. A kiss. She owed him a kiss.

Waiting had never been his strongest trait and in frustration he called his mother to inform her about his progress. When he told her of her last message she took a moment before saying anything.

“Caspar I do hope you realize that she probably won’t kiss you.”

“What??” He said, upset and slumping on his sofa.

“Well, she was probably teasing and even if she was going to kiss you it probably won’t be on the mouth. It’s far too early for such a thing.”

“But the roses-”

“Were a lovely gesture, as was the lunch, but affection takes time to grow and nurture. A gift is a gift, not a guarantee. Louise has no idea that you want a relationship with her.”

“Should I just tell her then?”

“You could, but you must think about it, darling. Don’t just bluster it out the words like you usually do. Really talk to her and watch how she behaves with you. Foreplay is more than just touch; it’s words too.”

“Conversation?”

“Yes, absolutely! Nothing is more wonderful than being able to talk to someone you love for hours and when you can’t talk any more the silence between you is comforting.”

“That sounds kind of nice, Mum.”

“It is.” She sighed. “Forget the kiss, the kiss is trivial. Words Caspar. Those linger forever……and don’t ever forget, if she’s not interested and tells you no-”

“-I stop and apologize and respect her decision.” He parroted dutifully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how I'm doing. I don't mind tweaking my work.


	3. Can't Be Summer Love, You'll See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is there any chemistry? Caspar is going to find out.

When Youtube called for its creators, they obediently made the trip. It usually comprised of workshops, surprises, good food and good music. Caspar was quite nervous at the idea of getting Louise’s attention amongst so many other Youtubers. One part of him just wanted to go make a dramatic display of affection, but the other part of him - which sounded a lot like his mum - told him to slow down and be clever. He had to be clever and he would be, despite playing the idiot pretty well for most his life.

The annoyance started off early. He barely got to say hello to her before a whole slew of their friends came and they piled themselves into the plane; business class, thank you very much.

He had been anxious to speak to her and he got the opportunity once they were airborne. As they flew into the night and most of them slept, he noticed that Louise still had her light on. Alfie did too, but he had his headphones on and appeared to be tapping away on his laptop, probably editing something, so he decided to risk it. Unbuckling his seat, he got up and made as if to go to the restroom, but instead headed towards Louise. She noticed him approaching and smiled.

“Can’t sleep?” He asked softly as he knelt down beside her.

“Bit of a night owl.” She admitted and lifted her Kindle. “Thought some reading would help.”

“Haven’t seen you since our lunch. I hoped you liked it.”

“The lunch was nice; so were the flats. I’ve used them often.” She said, putting down the Kindle so she could focus on him better. He was wearing comfy clothes, as most of them do when on a long flight. His golden hair was mussed, but then when wasn’t it?

“Great! Um…..and the flowers?” He asked hesitantly.

Louise’s beautiful green eyes lit up. “They were beautiful. I took them home and Darcy thought they were the prettiest roses ever. We actually made a little flower crown for her and she wore it all day until it started to smell. I don’t think you minded them being used like that.”

“No, no, it’s fine. They’re your roses, I bought them for you. I’m glad they were used for something interesting. I never understood the point in giving a girl flowers unless besides wanting to be romantic.”

“Were you trying to be romantic, Caspar?” She teased.

Caspar didn’t know what to say, so he gave her a neutral shrug. “A little romance doesn’t hurt.”

She gave him a knowing look. “I think we both know that romance can hurt a lot.”

“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try again.” He countered.

“True, very true.” She agreed, becoming quiet. Her eyes traveled over his face and suddenly felt the warmth of his eyes on her, which caused her stomach to flutter unexpectedly. Shyly, she looked down at her lap.

“You kinda promised me a kiss.” He said, deciding to be daring.

She smiled faintly and looked back at him again. _Cheeky bugger_. “I did, didn’t I? Would you like it now?”

“Yeah, sure.” His blue eyes lit up as he rolled forward on his knees to be at a better level with her.

His face was close and he looked so excited. She realized now that she had never kissed Caspar before. Hugged him, pretended to kiss him, pretended to be dating him, but never a kiss. Well, first time for everything.

She captured his head in her hands and was amazed the way he immediately softened to her touch. Without hesitation she gave him a tender kiss on his cheek and drew back. Stunned, she could see that Caspar had closed his eyes with a tiny frown of concentration on his wide forehead. His mouth was slightly parted and he swallowed heavily. Finally, he opened his eyes and truly, he looked like he’d been given a gift.

“Thank you.” He said smiling his carefree smile.

No demands for another kiss, no lewd remarks. She had to admit that he it appeared he had grown up. “You’re welcome.”

Caspar wished her good night and went back to his seat. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his cheek. It was the best and worst thing that had happened to him. It was a sweet, brief kiss; the first she had ever given him. He had pondered if this desire to date Louise was merely an infatuation brought on by loneliness, that there would be no real chemistry. The kiss however proved to him that it was not the case. Chemistry was there; his face felt on fire and his heart raced like mad. It was just an innocent peck on the cheek and his body desired to know more.

The following days however did not appear to cooperate with him.

Much to his annoyance his room was nowhere near close to hers. His friends, whom he loved very much, demanded all his attention. He had to vlog the trip so that also took up his time. Louise looked lovely as usual but he couldn’t even say that to her because Dan, Phil and Alfie seem to hang around her at all times and took up her attention. He was never more jealous of three people in his life and even if there was an opportunity to say something to her he couldn’t because he was very self-conscious of the fact that he never spoke too much to her before and it would look suspicious if he started now.

During a quick bathroom break, he shot his sister a text about the kiss and the frustration of the summit.

**Did she or did she not help you during the baby incident?**

**_She definitely helped!_ **

**Then I think that would warrant a change in your behavior. If anyone asks just say that she helped you in the past. Honestly I think you’re over thinking it. I bet no one would even notice**

**_Joe would notice_ **

**Joe would also know it was probably because of what happened**

**_But he knows when I’m flirting_ **

**Then don’t flirt with her around Joe**

**_But Joe is always watching after her when we go to these things!_ **

**Then maybe you should too. You want her? Grab the bull by the horns, little brother and use that brain of yours!**

Caspar hated it when Theo was right, but she was right. He had a right to speak to her without people calling him out for it. She was his friend, she helped him out during his roughest time and there was no shame in expressing affection towards her. Besides, everyone liked Louise.

Filled with determination, he made his way towards Joe and claimed the seat beside him. Joe happily welcomed him and beside him was Louise who gave him a sweet smile before resuming her conversation with Dan and Phil.

It was a sort of triumph. While he was now a person away from her, he couldn’t really speak to her and if he was honest, he was getting jealous. She was completely and utterly comfortable with Dan. The way they whispered and laughed to each other; their bodies leaned naturally closer just filled him with envy. Then there was the way she and Joe interacted. They had years and years of friendship between them and it told by the sheer way they hung together in silence. They didn’t need words to show they cared for each other; it was already there.

Then there was Alfie, sitting right across from them vlogging everything. He annoyed the crap out of her and she scolded him openly only to have him laugh. He grabbed her attention through conversations and mildly offensive topics. In all of this, what was Caspar to Louise? He was there; that’s it. It upset him and it pissed him off and when that happened it only made him determined as fuck.

He was going to get her attention before this summit was through, so help him!

* * *

 

Regardless of what Caspar thought, Louise did have him in her mind. When he joined their little circle, she couldn’t help but look at him from time to time. In his late 20s now, he looked more man than boy and his eyes seem to catch hers at all times. He would give her a smile that was infectious and it looked like he wanted to say something but others kept getting in the way. It made her very curious about him.

!!!!!

That night, Caspar couldn’t sleep. He had gone out with his friends but found no real pleasure in it and made his way back to the hotel. Love, loneliness and other things had weighed heavily on his mind. Suddenly he made an impulsive move and stopped the elevator in the floor that Louise was in.

Louise was just about to call it a night when there was a knock on her door. Curious and a little afraid, she grabbed her robe and tightened it around herself before cautiously opening the door.

“Caspar, what are you doing here?”

“I just came back from the bar and I was wondering if I could talk to you.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Are you drunk?”

“I had about three beers. Not enough to be drunk.” He admitted, then looked down at his shoes before looking back at her. “I just need someone who isn’t pissed right now.”

She sensed a heaviness in his tone and wordlessly parted the door for him. He walked in and shivered a little. “A bit cold in here.”

“I like the cold. Helps me sleep better.” She said, then arched a brow as he threw himself vertical on the bed. She decided to sit on a chair and wait for him to speak.

“It would’ve been two months old by now if it had been born.” He said quietly.

Instantly her heart ached for him. She scooted her chair closer and stroked his hair. “Is that what has you all pensive? Caspar, I’m so sorry.”

“Most of my weeks have been good really. I dunno, I just felt lonely and thoughts of the baby crept back in my mind.” He sighed against her sheets. “You know, they talk about counseling and shit for mothers but they don’t say much about the dads.”

“They do actually, it’s just not as popular among men to talk about miscarriages. It’s the stupid stereotypes about men having to tough it out. Don’t tough it out, Caspar. If you want to talk about it to me, you can.”

“Is it stupid to admit I already had names for it?”

“No, it’s not stupid at all. What were they?”

“Jon or Emily.”

“Your parents?”

“Yup. Too traditional?”

“No, they sound perfectly lovely to me. You’ll get to name your children someday, Caspar.”

“I do want to have kids someday.” He admits, leaning to her touch. “Don’t care how I get them. ”

“That’s the spirit.” She said encouragingly. “You’ll have your family. Your slice of domestic bliss.”

“What’s it like to have a daughter?” He asked looking up at her thoughtfully.

She smiled with pride. “She’s a monkey; always has been. She’s small and cute and brilliant and I’m glad that I am her mother. It’s messy and frustrating and I do my best not to compare myself to other mums because that just leads to hours of crying and eating a whole pint of ice cream with some McDonalds.”

“That sounded really specific.”

“It’s reality, Caspar. Being a parent is a lot of work.”

“Do you think I would make a good parent?”

“I think so. You’re really funny around your little cousins and your collection of Emma Lees are impressive.”

Caspar smiled and rubbed his nose against her hand. She booped him. “Don’t forget Shaniqua.”

Louise laughed. “I forgot about that one. How many Shaniquas do you have?”

“Only two. Eva and I still share custody.”

“How’s that working for you?”

“It’s fine, though sometimes we forget where we put her.”

“Doesn’t quite work the same with Darcy.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“I promised Eva we’d collab sometime this week.”

“She seems like a nice girl.” She mused. “Interested?”

“No, I’ve already kissed her and it was like kissing my sister.” He admitted.

“I suppose the kiss I gave you then was like a kiss from your mum.” She teased.

Caspar sobered and shook his head. “Nope. I felt like I got kissed by a beautiful woman.”

She blushed and giggled. “Charmer.”

“Laspar4life.” He said, capturing her hand in his and pressing it firmly on his cheek. “Thank you Louise.”

“You’re welcome.” She said her heart doing a little summersault under his bluer than blue gaze. “Lasper4life.”

* * *

 

He felt better after talking to her; being in her presence was soothing. As the days continued he felt a deeper rapport with her and it appeared to be mutual. They talked about stuff and she started to get comfortable with him. She even let him hold her hand for a little bit during one of those group exercises and that was everything to him. The penultimate night was always left for dancing and as usual Youtube delivered with an amazing space, food, drinks and music.

He made an effort to look good that night. So much so that even Joe was curious about whom he was trying to pull, but Caspar waved him off. Louise had gone off with friends so he hadn’t seen her until she arrived and when he did he knew he had to get her on the dance floor.

She was wearing an LBD with sparkles all over it, a touch of tulle around the skirt and was slightly off the shoulders. Even Joe was impressed.

“She looks really good tonight.”

Caspar could only puff out a heavy breath of appreciation as he stared at her. He quickly snapped a photo of her and sent it to his sister with a single plea.

**_HELP!!!_ **

**Doesn’t she look pretty. Get it under control Caspar!**

**_I don’t think I can! Look at her! I just want to take her back with me!_ **

**And ruin everything because you couldn’t get your cock under control? No!**

**_What do I do?_ **

**What have you been doing?**

**_We talked. A lot. She let me hold her hand a little._ **

**That’s great! Don’t sleep with her!**

**_Well what if SHE asks ME to sleep with her?_ **

**Don’t**

**_WHY???_ **

**A good man waits. Do you really want your first time with her to be while drunk in a hotel?**

**_no_ **

**Then don’t do anything stupid. Romance, Caspar. Romance!**

He went to the restroom to splash some cold water on his face. By the time he came out he looked around for his friends and found them at a table drinking quite happily. Upon asking for Joe they pointed out to the dance floor where he was dancing with Louise.

OH HELL NO!! Suddenly exploded in his brain and it was a miracle he didn’t let out a scream, which he tended to do when he was caught off guard.

He loved Joe. He was one of the greatest friends he made in his life. He loved him like family and would do anything for him. Right now he wanted to punch the asshole in his smug little face.

Caspar grabbed a drink, not sure from where, and downed it. He needed to keep his hands and mind steady as he scrambled not to do anything stupid. Fortunately, there seemed to be no sexual tension emanating from them and it looked like a friendly dance. It almost reminded of the first time they-Oh my God.

Caspar quickly ran off to talk to the DJ.

* * *

 

An hour and a few shots later, Louise was feeling really good about herself. The whole summit went with minimal fuss on her part, which was an accomplishment really. The party was amazing and her friends were the best ever, ever. Justin Timberlake’s Summer Love poured out of the speakers and Caspar Lee suddenly appeared with his trademark, sunshine smile.

“Louise, dance with me!” He asked, extending his hand out to her.

She happily took his hand and followed him to the dance floor.

She always loved the beat of this song and let her body follow the rhythm.  Caspar followed after her with his eyes; taking in her happiness, sparkles swirling around her and the dreamy expression in her gaze.

“This is our song!” He called out to her as he took her hand and gave her a twirl.

“What? Our song?” She called out, frowning curiously.

“The first dance we ever had was to this song.” He reminded her. “At the Amity Fest photoshoot!”

Louise paused, thinking, then suddenly her face broke out into the most brilliant smile. “Caspar! You remembered that!”

He slowly reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close. “You’re going to have to tell me.” He said close to her ear.

Louise clasped his upper arms to restrain him slightly. “Tell you what?”

“How you got that pretty little face on that pretty little frame, girl.” He asked with a saucy wink.

“There is nothing little about me.” She retorted.

“But you are pretty. In fact you’re beautiful tonight. I almost swallowed my tongue when I saw you.” He admitted.

That bit of honest flattery went straight to her head and she beamed up at him. “Are you flirting with me, Caspar Lee?”

By this point they almost appeared to be slow dancing they were so deep into their conversation. Caspar knew this is where he could be bold and he wanted to be, desperately. He had his arms around her and she was just so, so beautiful right now. Her hair was golden and flowing, her shoulders bare and soft and her mouth were perfectly soft and shaded. “Only if you want me to flirt with you.” He said, giving her the choice.

Years ago, she had said to him that she would never want to kiss him even if they were full out flirting. She had called him an 8 out of 12. When he said he couldn’t keep his hands off of her she had cringed.

“Yeah, why not? Flirt with me, Caspar. Show me what you know.” She said with a smug smile.

Caspar smiled shamelessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summer Love was actually the first song they danced to that was captured on a vlog. I stumbled on it by accident. Thanks Tumblr.


	4. Not On the Lip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of every journey begins with a single step. Just don't insert that first step into your mouth.

She had expected a barrage of lewd comments and bad come-ons. Instead Caspar finished the dance with her, gave her cheek a gentle kiss and led her back to their friends with a promise that they would talk later. It was so anti-climactic that it left Louise scratching her head.

* * *

 

The next day was check-out time and Louise’s room was in chaos which she was now valiantly trying to organize into her case, backpack and purse. It didn’t help that she had a mild hangover and didn’t order anything for breakfast, so the knock on the door didn’t help at all.

“Who is it??” She called out, stuffing her clothes in her suitcase.

“It’s me.”

Oh she definitely didn’t have time for Caspar and figure out the puzzle he left her in last night.

“I’m packing Caspar. I really don’t have time to talk.”

“I brought you some breakfast. McDonalds.” The sound of a crinkled bag could be heard.

Her Achilles heel. She opened the door to see him holding up the bag and some orange juice.

“It’s not an egg McMuffin? I hate ham.” She asked him.

“Um, I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got one of every breakfast sandwich.” He offered the bag to her.

It certainly was heavy when she took it. She made a quick inspection and snatched an egg and cheese biscuit sandwich with some hash browns.

“You surprised me.” She said as she continued packing while taking bites. “I can’t believe you’re ready to go already.”

Caspar shrugged and sat down on her bed as he pulled out a sandwich for himself. “I just threw everything in my bag and hope for the best when I get back. I just wanted to see you because I think I might have left you confused.”

“That’s a good word. Definitely confused. I gave you permission to flirt with me and you call it a night?”

“I was really excited when you said that and I was worried about saying something stupid.” His eyes glanced around and landed on her suitcase where he spotted something soft and silky looking. Worried he had seen her underwear his eyes shot back up to hers. “Plus you had a little too much to drink and I thought it might’ve been the alcohol talking, so I decided to get you breakfast, come here and see if you were actually giving me permission to flirt with you.”

That was…..the most well thought ought thing she’d ever heard Caspar say to her. It left her a bit speechless.  

He rubbed his lips together nervously; half dreading her answer. If she said no it would be the end of it and he didn’t want it to end. He hadn’t wanted to ask her this, he really didn’t, but he had to do right by her, plus his mum and sis would kill him.

She knew this was the moment where the Laspar would stop. She ought to make it stop because he was not her type in the least. Too young, blonde, impulsive, crude and hornier than a bull in a cow barn. Yet she also recalled the lunch, the flats, the roses, the conversations and that dance.

Louise cleared her throat. “You still can. If these past few days are any indication of what flirting with Caspar Lee is like.”

God loves him. He really, really does. “Yes! Yes!” Caspar whooped and shot up to his feet. He took ahold of Louise’s hand, kissed it, then her cheek, then her hand again. “I am SO GLAD you trust me. You won’t regret it! I’m going to let you finish breakfast and I’ll see you on the plane.”

Before Louise could say anything, he was out the door.

“Oh I really hope I don’t regret this.” She said to herself nervously.

* * *

 

The flight back had Louise in knots and it had nothing to do with flying. She kept questioning her motives for agreeing to let Caspar do this. She wrote all kinds of lists of pros and cons on one of her notes, then close it out of fear of some of her friends catching a glimpse and demanding to know why Caspar’s name was all over the paper.

At the very least he was behaving himself. Joe kept him occupied and as even though he searched her out with his gaze, he remained with his former roommate.

The plane landed at some unholy hour of the night and they all stumbled out looking bleary eyed and miserable. Too tired for anything to happen, Louise and Caspar parted with nary a wink.

!!!!!

The next day the whole event came blasting back to Louise and she decided she needed to vent to someone badly.

“Hazel! I need to talk.”

“Is it bad?”

“Yes.”

“I’m getting a drink.”

Louise rolled her eyes and started blurting out everything that happened between Caspar and herself and finished it off listing out her fears.

“He’s too young and probably doesn’t know what he wants.”

“He’s 27 or 28, I think he’s past not knowing what he wants.” Hazel replied coolly.

“I’m not attracted to younger men.”

A snort. “Apparently you do else you would have nipped this in the bud after the roses. Plus, what is wrong with dating a younger man? I date them all the time.”

“I don’t know why I haven’t stopped this.” Louise whined.

“Oh I think you do, darling.” Hazel replied, “You haven’t dated in a year. You’re scientifically at your sexual peak. Caspar suddenly got his head out of his perky arse and realized that you’re a fine piece of woman. He’s good looking and making an active effort to get your attention. You like it.”

Louise didn’t say anything because if she did she’d have to admit that she was right. “I’m not going to say it.”

“You don’t have to. I already know.”

“Jack is a terrible influence on you.”

“Mm, isn’t he though? But serious, give the guy a chance, Louise. He’s not terrible and there are no other prospects at the moment. What could it hurt?”

“What about our friends?”

“Fuck that. You’re adults. Don’t let others dictate your lives.”

Her words echoed through Louise’s head as she went through her day. Yes, it was her life. She was entitled to explore all avenues, yet this was Caspar. He was impulsive and pleasure driven. What would happen if he got a taste of the real Louise and found her lacking? It filled her with dread.

Later that night Louise laid in her glorious bed, comfortable in her t-shirt and knickers, hair down, glasses on tapping away at her laptop for some late-night edits.

Her phone rang. She quickly answered and tucked the phone on her shoulder. “Hello?”

“Hi.”

She gasped and dropped the phone. Quickly she scrambled to grab it again. “Um hi, Caspar. What are you doing calling me on a Saturday night? Shouldn’t you be out with friends.”

“I am actually. Out with my friends.” He replied as he slid the glass door closed to the balcony that overlooked London. “But there’s this girl who’s getting too aggressive and I’m currently hiding.”

“Oh my God. Where are the others?”

“Probably still laughing at me.” He said taking a seat in an available chair. “So I’m on my own for the moment and I thought I would call you.”

“How thoughtful.”

“Thought about you in that black dress.” He admitted. “Couldn’t get you out of my mind.”

“It was a nice dress.” She smiled. “Everyone woman owns at least one LBD. In my case I have four.”

“I’d like to see you in all of them.” He said propping his legs up on a round table.

“Ah, so you’re finally flirting with me now.” She said smartly. “What does the handsome Caspar Lee do to pull a girl in, hm?”

He sighed against the phone. “At the risk of sounding like a dick, they usually come to me and I don’t have to say much.”

She nodded to herself. “That does sound dick-ish.”

“Well they don’t stay long.” He confesses. “Lately all the girls I meet want fame, sex and adventure. I can’t seem to find one that’s smart.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting sex and adventure. Even smart girls want that.”

“Do you?”

Louise went quiet for a moment. “Yeah why not? Adventure once in a while is nice. Sex is definitely fun.”

“It IS fun.” He agreed, smiling to himself. “Haven’t had it in a while though.”

She snorted. “I don’t believe you.”

“No really. I’ve actually been really picky lately.”

“I’ve been picky too. Finding a good man over 35 with dark hair and a sexy smile has been difficult.”

“How about a younger man over 25 with blonde hair and a sexy South African accent?”

She chuckled. “Nowhere near what I was looking for, but he seems to fancy my attention all of a sudden.”

“I always wanted your attention. Why did you think I cuddled you?” He reminded her.

“Because all the other girls had boyfriends within smacking range and my husband at the time was too far to do anything?”

“Okay, there’s that, but you were nice to me. You were someone I felt warm and safe with.” He admitted as he closed his eyes and thought of those moments when he had his arms casually around her shoulders. “You always smelled so good.”

“Thank you Caspar.” She said, flattered at his trust in her. “I believe it was men’s cologne I was accidentally wearing.”

He smiled to himself. “Your skin was so soft, so was your hair. That black dress was kind of off the shoulders and it just…..” He trailed off, thinking about it.

“It just what?” She asked, curious.

“It just drove me crazy how soft your skin looked. I wanted to bury my face against it and just stay there.” He confessed, his voice husky and warm. “You’re not a girl, you’re a woman. A gorgeous woman.”

She flushed pink at that amazing confession and her stomach did a lazy flip. “You had an opportunity to do so.”

“I did, but I didn’t want to scare you off. It would’ve been too soon to do the things I wanted to do.”

Her stomach fluttered at that and a voice in her head urged her to have him say more. “Like what, Caspar?”

Her voice dropped a bit, she didn’t realize, but he did. “I wanted to kiss your skin, right where your neck and shoulder meet. I wanted to trace the line of your shoulders with my mouth. I wanted to know what you tasted like.”

Oh, this was a mistake. She couldn’t edit a thing as her heart raced at his words. Her fingers dug into her phone as she listened helplessly.

“I know once I taste you that I’ll want more.” He confessed, rubbing his hand on his thigh, feeling his arousal. “I would’ve kissed you. I don’t know if I could’ve been gentle.”

Her mind filled with the images of him nipping her lips, parting her mouth and slanting hard against her in a passionate kiss. Her eyes slide shut and she let out a squeak.

“Louise?” He murmured.

“Yes, Caspar?”

The way she whispered his name was enough to leave him hard all night. “What are you wearing?”

She would not tell him, she wouldn’t dare…..

“A soft, grey t-shirt and knickers.” She said softly.

The soft, throaty, frustrated groan that she heard over the phone made her skin break out into goosebumps.

“Too much?” She murmured, worried when all she could hear were deep breathes.

At this point Caspar was actually pinching his thigh hard. The conversation escalated faster than he thought and he was surprised how turned on he was.

“Too good.” He replied finally. “Please Louise, let me take you out one night. Please.”

It would be so easy just to say yes. Her mind said yes, her body said yes, but her heart…..

“I’ll call you and let you know.” She whispered. “Promise.”

He sighed heavily, almost disappointed.

“I’ll be thinking of you tonight.” She confessed.

A ray of hope.

“I’ll be thinking of you too.” He replied, meaning it.

They soon hung up and Caspar palmed himself through his jeans, shuddering. He wouldn’t last long tonight.

* * *

 

“Oh my fucking God! You have to!” Hazel said the next morning when Louise called her and explained what had happened.

“Do I really? Do I really??” Louise replied as she paced around her house, picking stuff up and basically stress cleaning.

“You do realize you just had phone sex with Caspar?”

“We were NOT having phone sex! We simply had a conversation that got a little erotic.”

“Did you get off?” She demanded.

“No!” Louise protested. She got a dead silent response knowing what Hazel waiting for. “Not _during_ the call.” She said in a small voice.

“Oh my God! What did he say! I bet he’s got a filthy little mouth.”

“No. All he talked about was how I looked in the black dress I wore at the summit. He was talking about how he wanted to touch my skin and kiss my mouth and-” She closed her eyes and sighed, “Swear, it was like he was touching me.”

“Louise, you have to let him take you out.” Hazel replied enjoying herself immensely. “Cheeky bugger’s got you hot and ready to go.”

“Do you think that’s all he wants, Hazel? Sex?” She asked, a little worried.

“Mm, don’t know him well enough to say for sure, but he’s desperate to wine and dine you first.”

“Men wine and dine high class call girls you know.”

“You’re not Billie Piper.”

“Don’t remind me.” Louise sighed.

“Louise Pentland, just go out on the damn date with the man. If you want to have sex with him then have sex with him. If you don’t, you don’t. Stop complicating things by over thinking it. You might actually have a lovely time with a good guy.”

She mused about it, tempted. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a lovely night with a good guy.”

“At the least it will be dinner with a friend.” Hazel said. “Don’t you dare hold back though. You’re confident and sexy; let it go!”

“Ugh, did you have to quote Frozen?”

“Shut up and call the man.”

* * *

 

Caspar was still sleeping away the afternoon when his phone beeped. He was hung over and pain was throbbing hard in his head, which was honestly better than the throbbing he had somewhere else.

Red eyed he grabbed his phone and tucked it somewhere he couldn’t hear it. He wanted to go back to sleep so he can dream of comforting darkness or of Louise. Louise who said his name like it was a prayer, who left him with the fantasy of her in her knickers, who left him waiting for an answer to his request.

Suddenly his eyes widened and he grabbed his phone. Sure enough it was Louise who had messaged him.

**Sometime next week?**

There was a God and He was good.

**_Yes! I’ll get everything ready! I’ll send the information ASAP_ **

**Thanks** **J**

Caspar let out a whoop of victory then groaned as his headache came back in full force.

Then set in the full panic of realizing that after two months, he finally managed to get a date with Louise and now had no idea where to take her. The worrying was making the headache worse, so he did what he usually did when it came to dating Louise; he called his mum.

“Mum!” He said hoarsely.

“Hi, Darling!” She replied. “How are you?”

“I have a hangover, but that’s not important.” He said, resting a hand over his eyes, blocking out the morning light. “Louise agreed to go on a date with me and now I don’t know what to do.”

“Most men take their ladies out to dinner, Caspar.” She replied coolly.

Was she being sarcastic? Was she making light of his suffering?? “Muuuummm!”

“Well what do you want me to say, Caspar. That is what men do.”

“I have no idea where I’m taking her. A part of me wants to take her somewhere exciting and another part of me wants to take her somewhere we can be comfortable.” He groaned. “My head hurts.”

“Where do you usually take girls you like?”

“I take them to a bar close by and to a movie.” He said. “But I don’t want to do that with Louise. I want her to like me and I just…..I think I’m only going to have one shot with her so I don’t want to mess up by treating her to a cheap date.”

“What is it about her that has you so intimidated, Caspar?” She asked, very curious. “Have you upset her in some way?”

“Honestly? I know I’m not her type. She prefers men around her age; tall, dark and mature.”

“Do you think she’s not interested? That she’s amusing you.”

“I don’t want her to date me out of pity. I want her to want me.”

“Caspar, you need to relax. You’ve known her for years, haven’t you? Do you think she’d date you out of pity?”

He sighed and mused for a moment. “No. Maybe out of curiosity.”

“Curiosity indicates interest, love. Take heart in that.” She said soothingly, then frowned. “You don’t think she’d use you, would she?”

“Louise would never hurt any of us.” He said quickly; one hundred percent sure of that.

“Then be sensible, Caspar, an idea will come to you. Maybe you should watch her videos; it might give you an idea.”

That was not a bad idea. He thanked his mum and after taking some painkillers and eating some breakfast he did some research.

He binged on Louise videos for most of the day, which was nice since her videos weren’t so shout-y and violent; a few were surprisingly titillating, which he saved for later.

Finally, he got an idea.

* * *

When Louise first got the itinerary, she was dumbfounded. She’s never pegged Caspar as someone to go to such a place so she was incredibly curious about his plans as the cab drove her to their meeting place.

She had listened to Hazel and put some extra effort in her clothes, though now she was second guessing herself. She wore some tights -her sworn enemy-some adorable and very comfortable ankle boots. Her problem was her blouse which she selected. It was a boho pattern with a wide elastic that cinched around her waist perfectly and flared a bit around her hips. The daring part was the sleeves which cuffed gently around her elbow did not close around her shoulder but were instead held by two straps. This of course left the skin of her shoulders and collar exposed; the skin he spoke of wanting to touch. She blushed, feeling like a tease.

When she got out of the vehicle and saw Caspar she was rather amazed. The dark jeans and dark trainers looked a touch shabby, the blueish-grey button up with the sleeves rolled looked appealing, but the stunner was….

“I’ve never seen you in a vest before.” She blurted out, pleasantly pleased at the steel grey color and how it brought a hint of smoke in the blue of his eyes. It hugged his form perfectly; he looked amazing.

He had torn through his closet trying to find something to wear. He posed in some outfits and sent them to his sister who declared him “boring” and “typical”. He usually went to Joe for fashion advice, but he didn’t want him to know what he was up to yet. Eventually in a fit of frustration he went to Gleam offices and begged someone to give him a fashion make over. The stylist pulled a few things from the racks and he took the one that the girls oohed at the most.

Course none of that mattered because all he could see was Louise in a blouse that showed so much soft, pale skin that he was ready to go down on his knees and beg her to put him out of his misery.

“Caspar, are you alright?” She asked, blushing hard at the way he was staring at her.

“Um….hm?” He murmured, then squeezed his eyes hard, begging his mind to concentrate. “I mean, Wow! Wow.”

She smiled, believing him, but wanting to tease. “I bet you say that to all your first dates.”

Caspar shook his head. “Nope, only you.” He tugged at his vest and offered his hand to her. “Ready to go?”

She took his hand and followed him up the stairs. “I’ve got to know. What on Earth gave you the idea to take me to the Science Museum? I didn’t think you’d be interested in such places.”

“Well, it’s true I’ve never been here.” He admitted, turning to look at her as they reach the landing. “But you have and I thought maybe with a personal guide, I could appreciate a little education.”

“Educate you?” She asked, grinning. “Are you sure. I know a lot and I might bore you.”

His eyes deliberately wandered over her from head to foot. “No, you definitely won’t.”

Louise didn’t know what was going to burst first; her face or her tights.

* * *

 

The evening went as well as Caspar had hoped. Louise proved to be more intelligent than he realized and sometimes he was dumbfounded by what she knew. They finished the trip with dinner at Sketch which was only a few minutes away.

“So you and your Dad bonded over space and science?” He asked her while they ate their dinner.

“It was our passion. None of my girlfriends wanted to talk about space.” She said. “Not to say that they were wrong. I could talk about make-up and fashion with them. It rather balanced out.”

“You talk about space and science stuff on Youtube now, don’t you?”

“Oh yeah, on top of all the other topics that interest me. Sadly, those videos are not my most viewed.”

Caspar scoffed. “If it’s still around 100,000 it’s still good.”

“Thank you, Caspar.” She grinned. “You share any passions with your family?”

He thought about it and shook his head. “No, not really. Nothing comes to mind really. I mean Theo and I both do Youtube and my family had some media connections, but nothing I would share passionately like you and your dad. In fact, as I think about it, I’m a lot like my mum.”

“Oh? You do look a lot like her.”

“Well yeah, there’s that, but we also have a tendency of switching our focus into different things.” He mused, chewing thoughtfully. “Whatever caught her interest she’d just do it. If she lost the passion for it, she’d move onto elsewhere.”

“You’re the same?” She asked.

“Yeah, I mean Youtube is the constant, but I could do whatever I want with my channels. I can do skits, interviews, challenges, Q&As, vlogs, trailers. I can go do movies now! Whatever I’m passionate about I go for completely and when I tire of it, I move on. I love the variety. I’ll never get bored.”

Louise mused a bit and said a very quiet. “Oh.”

Caspar suddenly felt the air cool around them as if someone pumped an airful of winter into the room. Before he can ask if something was wrong, Louise started talking again and he became distracted.

“You’re passionate about your friends though.”

He cleared his throat. “Friends are different. I never want to lose friends.”

Louise smiled kindly. “Good.”

The rest of the dinner went well and Caspar didn’t realize something changed until they walked out.

“Well, best get a taxi and go back to the hotel then.” Louise announced.

Caspar smiled at her. “I’d be happy to walk you back there.”

“No, it’s probably better if I make my own way.” She insisted. “I had a lovely time, Caspar. You’re very thoughtful and I had fun educating you. You’re a good friend.”

A knot suddenly balled up in his stomach and when she stroked his cheek it felt like she was patting a child, not enticing a lover. “Um…..I’d like to do this again.” He said, trying to will away his worry.

She took a step back from him as a taxi approached. “We’ll see.” She replied.

* * *

 

“She said “We’ll see” like if she was talking to a little boy!” Caspar said hotly to his sister who was roused from her sleep to the sounds of her little brother having a meltdown. “We had energy, it was there! And then it was gone….” He scrubbed his hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know where it went wrong.”

Theodora yawned into the phone. “Tell me what was going on when it started to change.”

So Caspar started to recall the conversation and describe it moment by moment since he spent most of the night doing just that. When he got to the part about their mother and their similarities Theodora stopped him.

“Oh my God, you didn’t just say that.”

“Say what?”

“You told a woman you’re pursuing in the hopes of a long-term relationship that when you’re passionate about something you go for it and when you’re tired of it, you leave??” Theo said, shocked. “Do you have **_any idea_** how that came across?”

Caspar suddenly thought about it and the realization finally hit him. “Oh **_FUCK_**!”

Theo put the phone away from her ear as her brother started cussing and ranting at his own stupidity.

All his good work went out the window because he spoke before thinking. Louise took his words and came to a conclusion. She won’t have him now if she thought his desire for her would be so shallow.

“NO!” He grounded out through his teeth. “No! I can’t let her leave thinking I’m like that! No!”

“Caspar calm down.” She murmured soothingly. “You can talk to her tomorrow.”

“I can’t believe I was so stupid!” He paced around. “I won’t be able to sleep. I need to do something.”

“I’m sure she’ll listen to you in the morning.”

But Caspar couldn’t wait for the morning; his mind and body wouldn’t let him. He raced over to the hotel, stopping only to buy a rose, and immediately confronted the man at the front desk. He begged to know where Louise Pentland was roomed at, but of course the concierge wouldn’t tell him that. The man called her room, but she wasn’t responding. No surprise it was already late at night and she was probably dead asleep. Caspar was told to come in the morning, but he didn’t want to leave and decided to wait out the morning in the lobby.

* * *

 

Louise woke up and found that she still felt a weight of disappointment laying on her chest. Suppose she was already growing very fond of Caspar and last night’s conversation was still something of a letdown. She tried to take Hazel’s words to heart when she called her last night.

“I don’t think he realized what he said.” Hazel mused with her after she described the events in detail.

“I think I should cut my losses now before I get too emotionally involved.” Louise said.

“I think you should wait and see what the morning brings.” Hazel countered.

The phone suddenly rang and Louise rolled over on the bed to answer it. “’Ello?”

“Good Morning, Ms. Pentland. Sorry to disturb you, but we have a loiterer in the lobby who’s been waiting to speak to you. A young man called Caspar Lee?”

“What?? What’s he doing down there so early?” She said, stunned.

“He’s actually been down here for most of the night, Miss.” A slight pause. “He’s currently sleeping in one of our armchairs.”

“Oh my God. Send him up.” She said before hanging up the phone, springing out of bed so she can snatch on a robe, brush her teeth and possibly put a comb through her hair.

Speedy Gonzalez had nothing on Caspar as soon there was a knock on her door and Louise just barely brushed her teeth. She frantically tied her hair in a sloppy knot before opening the door. The shock to end all shocks was the sight of Caspar Lee, eyes completely red and baggy, wearing the clothes that he wore last night for their date and holding out a red rose that was just starting to wilt.

“Oh my God, Caspar what happened to you?” She said, clearly worried.

“I wanted to talk to you last night, but you were already asleep.” He explained, still holding the rose out.

“What was so important that it couldn’t have waited til this morning, Caspar?” She asked, eyeing the rose warily.

Caspar licked his lips; he had to get this right. “I realized what I said. You are not a video, or a movie or a hobby. You’re a person and I don’t abandon those that I care about.”

Louise felt an unexpected knot in her chest and she looked down. “Caspar, you said you love something deeply and then you leave.”

“I don’t do that to people! Never people!” He shook his head. “Please, don’t believe that I could be that much of a shallow, stupid dick. I want to go out with you. I want to tell you things. I want to hear what you have to say.”

“We could do that as friends, Caspar.” Louise said softly.

The rejection was coming, but he refused to surrender. “I want more. Please, trust me. Give me three more dates. Just three more.”

The rose in his hand twitched still held out to her and she felt herself being pulled. “One.”

Not enough. “Three, so that you know how serious I am.”

“I can’t keep coming down to London so much, Caspar.” She insisted.

“I’ll pay for the train tickets and the hotel. Three.” He countered.

Her eyes shot open at the incredible offer. “No! I won’t allow you to do that. One!”

“Okay, how about two dates?” He bargained.

“Two? Like a weekend?”

“We have meetings and rehearsals coming up. I’ll take you out two nights in a row and I will show you just how committed I am to dating you, that I can talk without sticking my foot in my mouth and that I am worth it.”

She paused, musing.

“Louise?”

“You can’t kiss me until I give you permission.” She said quietly, looking up at him. “Two dates but you don’t kiss me until I say you can whether it’s after the first date or our first anniversary. You wait.”

He looked at her beautiful face, at the sweet, plump little mouth that was now denied from him. “Deal.”

Louise took the rose from him and Caspar could finally breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did it make sense? I hope it made sense. Let me know.


	5. Baby Mama Drama (Sorta)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caspar has two dates to prove himself. No pressure.

The weeks rolled around and this time Caspar was determined to play it safe. He was going to take her to a movie where the chances of him opening his mouth and inserting his foot were less likely.

This time around she wore a lacy long sleeve dress with a stylish belt around her waist and brown boots. She wasn’t being teasing or tempting, but she was still beautiful nonetheless and friendly as usual.

They ended up the evening at an ice cream shop discussing the movie and other things.

“Tiramisu ice cream. Sounds horrid.” Louise said, wrinkling her nose at his choice.

“And vanilla is better? It’s boring.” He countered pointing at her own scoop.

“It’s a Tahitian Vanilla Bean! See these little black specks? It means quality.”

“It means it’s old.” He replied with a grin before he ate a particularly large bite that would offend her.

“Ugh, I’m not kissing you with coffee in your breath.” She said before taking a daintier bite.

Caspar’s eyes lit up. “You were going to kiss me?”

“Not anymore, but the thought did cross my mind.”

“Don’t tease. I’d really like to kiss you, you know.” He said sincerely.

“It’s only been a few weeks, Caspar.”

“No, it’s been a few years.” He replied. “You think you weren’t attractive to me when I was younger? Sometimes, sometimes, I just wanted to go for it and give you a kiss even if you did end up slapping me.”

She blushed and stirred her ice cream. “I probably would’ve.”

“I was also jealous of Joe.”

“Why?”

“He got to kiss you several times! Yeah it was on the cheek but still.”

“That’s because I trust Joe. I knew if he was going to give me a kiss it would be on the cheek because he was a gentleman. You on the other hand I didn’t trust with just a cheek kiss….and now I trust you less because I am very aware that you want me. Though due to recent events, I can assure you that if and when you do kiss me, I won’t slap you.”

He beamed at the prospect.

A shadow fell over their table and they both looked up. Louise studied the pretty blonde girl who looked quietly at Caspar. She also noticed how pale Caspar suddenly got and realized that he recognized this girl in an unpleasant way.

“Hi, Caspar.”

“Janine. Hi.” He said, straightening. He glanced at Louise, his stomach suddenly knotted. “Um, Louise, this is Janine. She was the one who I almost-”

Realization dawned and Louise grasped that she was in the middle of a tense situation. “Oh! Um, I suppose you need him for a moment?”

Janine nodded but said quickly. “I didn’t mean to pry. I know you’re on a date. I just wanted to talk to him for a bit? I’m sorry this is so awkward.”

“No, I understand that some things can’t wait.” She said, standing up. “I’ll just go.”

Caspar shot up to his feet, startling them both. “Don’t go far. Please.” He took Louise’s hand and squeezed it almost desperately.

As much as she wanted to get away, she would never leave a friend to suffer. “There’s a bookstore down the block. I’ll be there.” She promised.

He let out a breath, relieved then kissed her knuckles. “I’ll find you.”

She watched Caspar leave with Janine and let out a heavy breath. Usually when a date disappeared with another girl it was a signal to cut her losses, go home and have a good cry. This was the first time she was sticking around for the date to come back.

_What a time to be alive_ , she thought as she threw out their ice creams and headed to the bookstore.

* * *

 

She hadn’t meant to shop for anything, but there were a few books that turned out to pique her interest and a couple of stationaries that could not be passed up. She had a nice little basket ready to purchase when Caspar finally appeared. She saw him before he saw her and her heart ached for him. He looked wrung out and his eyes were dewy. A guy as sweet and as sunny as Caspar should never look like that. She was about to abandon her goods when he spotted and quickly joined her side.

“I’m so sorry about that. I never thought that would ever happen.” He started, looking weary.

“Ssh, it’s alright. I’m not angry.” Louise replied grasping his hand. He quickly laced their fingers together and held on. “Let’s go back to your place so we can talk about it.”

“Aren’t you going to buy those?” He asked, looking at the basket she was about to leave behind.

“They don’t matter right now, you do.”

“I feel bad about how the evening went. Let me buy them for you.”

“No, Caspar, you don’t have to.” She protested.

But Caspar wasn’t listening and took the basket from her. “Let me do this. Please.”

_He was desperate for distraction_ , she realized and slowly nodded. “Okay.”  

He purchased her books and they took a cab back to his place. Caspar threw himself onto the end of the sofa and looked up at her. She sat down on the other end and reached out to grasp his hand.

“So what did Janine say?” She asked.

Caspar was quiet for a moment. “She just wanted to see how I was doing. We kind of drifted apart after the miscarriage and I never told anyone, but the last time we spoke to each other wasn’t on the best terms.”

“Oh?”

“After….it happened, she kind of jumped back into the drinking and the partying and I just wasn’t up for it. She was…..angry that I was so upset. She said that I shouldn’t have been because she was the one who went through the actual pain and recovery process. I got angry at her for talking to me as if I didn’t have any investment in the baby. Like I didn’t have plans for what I wanted to do and what kind of dad I wanted to be. We kind of blew up on each other.” He revealed.

“Caspar that’s not true, you absolutely had a right to be upset.”

“Yeah, that’s why she came to talk. She’d gone to some therapy and she realized that we ended things badly, so she came to make amends.” Caspar smiled a bit and shrugged.

Louise smiled too. “Well then it’s not all bad today.”

“No, no it’s not I guess.” He slumped down on the sofa and looked at her. “I’m sorry. Second date ruined because of ex-girlfriend.”

“Honestly, I can say it wasn’t even the worst date I had. Not even in ranking.” She admitted.

“Really? Was it the books that helped?”

“The books were nice. I was more upset that you insulted my ice cream.”

Caspar chuckled and Louise was pleased with herself. “You started it.”

“I won’t kiss caffeine lips. Sorry.” She said reaching out to caress his face. “You look drained.”

“I feel drained.” He confessed. “It still takes a lot out of me and I don’t really like it.”

“You just need a nap. Don’t be upset about being upset. It took me a long time to get over my divorce and it might take you a while to get over this.”

“How long? A year?” He asked as he began to slump down on the sofa.

Louise grabbed a pillow, fluffed it and placed it by her leg which he quite contently snuggled into. “Maybe, more or less. Just don’t let anyone tell you when you’re done. You tell yourself. However, don’t use it as a crutch either. Like Queen Victoria. She mourned her husband her whole fucking life and lost a lot of ruling power to Parliament which is the reason why the royal family’s duties are mostly ceremonial.”

“You know a lot of interesting stuff, Louise.” Caspar marveled as he kicked off his shoes and made himself comfortable. “I’m glad I know you.” He yawned. “I wish I’d gone out with you sooner. I wouldn’t be so sad.”

“Maybe you’d be miserable with me. Ever thought of that?” She countered, stroking his hair. “I’m probably the biggest girl you’ve ever dated.”

“I like the way you look. Soft and round.” He smiled. “Green eyes, the little gap between your teeth.”

“It’s because I’m a thumb sucker.” She admitted.

“My farts can clear a room.”

Louise looked horrified, then started laughing. “Thanks for the warning. Anything else you’d like to confess?”

“I tend to keep a messy flat.”

“Pfft, you should see my house sometime.”

“I like to be naked most of the time.”

“I know, I’ve seen your videos.” She teased. “I like to be in my knickers at the house.”

He sighed. “Can’t wait to see that one day.”

“I got quite a big bum.” She reminded him.

“I like big bums and I cannot lie.” He sang, his eyes becoming drowsy. “Those other brothers can’t deny, when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face you get-”

“-Tired. You are tired, Caspar Lee. Sleep. We have our last date tomorrow.” She said, stopping him from singing the song.

“It won’t be our last date.” He murmured his eyes closing and his words slurring. “I like you, Louise.”

It was the last thing he said as Louise had the pleasure of watching him sleep. She stroked his soft hair a little more. “I like you too, Caspar.”

* * *

 

Louise called it the last date, but Caspar insisted on calling it the next date. Either way, the trip to the aquarium was pleasant. They went on a Monday, which made it a lot quieter and a little lonelier. In some parts, it was just them and the fish.

To break the monotony, they decided to play a game while sipping their Starbucks.

 “Never have I ever been puked on.” Said Caspar.

Both took a sip of their drinks. Louise grinned. “One time at church, Darcy was just a baby and she just had formula. She threw it up all over my top and it got into my bra. Ugh, the worst clean up ever.”

“For me it was Jack. It was after a long night and oh God, it was like something out of The Exorcism. Head spinning and everything.” Caspar said.

“Ew. Jack is the pretty one, right?”

“Wasn’t too pretty that night.” Caspar said with a grin, then nudged her. “Okay, your turn.”

“Alright, hmm….” She thought for a moment. “Never have I ever flashed someone on purpose.”

Caspar took a sip and Louise chuckled while she waited for him to confess.

“I can’t remember a specific moment, but I’ve been naked amongst my friends so often I know I’ve done it.”

“I believe you. I’m surprised Playgirl hasn’t called you.”

“You think they’d want me on Playgirl?” He thought flattered by the notion.

Her eyes travelled over him from toe to top. “I don’t see why not. Maybe that nice porn star you interviewed could hook you up. You know, I’ve always wanted to interview a male porn star. Have them explain what they’re all about and show that it’s not just sex.”

“I could talk to Sawyer who could talk to Asa Akira’s manager and see if maybe that could happen.” He offered.

“Oooh! That would be amazing.” Louise thought. “You must try. Now go, you’re turn.”

“Okay. Never have I ever…..farted and passed the blame on someone else.”

They both took a sip and Caspar chuckled. “Darcy?”

Louise giggled. “Yes. I told Matt that it was her diaper that smelled and I ran off to change her.”

“I farted in the pool next to Oli who was chatting up some girl and I blamed it on him. Totally ruined his chances.”

“Caspar! That’s awful. Poor Oli, he’s so sweet. I remember when I first met him. He looked like a baby with his soft face. Such a gentleman even at that age.” She sighed. “I really should collaborate with him again.”

“Oi now. I’m getting jealous.” Caspar pouted. “He has a proper girlfriend, you know, so don’t get any ideas.”

Louise nudged him playfully. “And she’s very lucky to have him. He’s a good friend, a good brother and very tender to his family. No doubt he’s a marvelous boyfriend. Can you say the same? What are your qualifications Caspar Lee?”

He had been getting green-eyed as she listed out Oli’s fine qualities so he quickly snatched the opportunity to list his own.

“Well, I happen to be an amazing friend! Treat them all like brothers. I ADORE my mother and sister and I always give them the best presents for Christmas and birthdays. I love hanging out with my relatives and I know I can be an amazing boyfriend.”

“Can you?”

“Yes.”

“Go on then. List out your sexy boyfriend qualities.” She asked saucily before sipping her drink.

“I love being romantic. Remember I sent you flowers and made a romantic spread that lunch time.”

“The unexpected romantic lunch was nice.” She added casually. “Continue.”

“I love to cuddle and I know you don’t mind that.”

“You’re right, it’s true. I do love a cuddle and you have proven to be good at it.”

“I shower regularly. I rarely stink unless I’m in the gym.”

“Here then, show me your arm.” Caspar obediently lifted his arm and she got close for a good sniff of his armpit. “A light smell. Alright, I accept that.”

“I like kids.” He mentioned.

Louise smiled and stroked his cheek. “You’re a big kid yourself, Caspy.”

He smiled. “I like it when you call me that. You rarely do but when you say it I know I earned it.” His eyes widened. “Oh, if you ever get sick I will definitely be the boyfriend who will take care of you and not go to the living room to play FIFA.”

“That’s good. I love being pampered. I am the worst sick person. I get weepy and sad.”

“I get sad and childish. All I like to do is roll myself like a burrito and watch videos.”

Louise nodded. “I agree completely.”

“If I get sick will you come so I can cuddle you?” He asked.

“Is that all I am to you? A teddy bear?” She asked, pretending to be affronted at the notion.

“No, no!” He protested. “You’re soft, cuddly and sweet smelling.” He tried a cocky grin. “They sexiest blanket I know.”

Louise blinked, then laughed at the terrible come on. Caspar grinned.

“Alright then, what about your job. Is it financially stable? Can you provide for a girlfriend’s needs?” She teased.

Caspar quickly put on his most serious face. “Yes, absolutely. I put maximum effort into all my videos, movies and collabs so that I can bring home the bacon.”

“I hate ham.”

“Cake. I bring home cake.”

She giggled. “Better. Well you seem like boyfriend material. I might be interested.”

His face lit up. “Would you? I’d love to take you out again.”

And just like that he wormed his way into her affections. Not that it was difficult. Louise never, ever hated him, though she had to admit he was clever.

“I think I’d like that.”

By the end of the date, Caspar knew he had won himself another day with her and he was ecstatic. After dropping her off, he quickly texted his mother.

**_Mum she likes me!_ **

For a man slowly reaching his 30s, Caspar was still enthusiastically childish, something Emily still found quite endearing about her son.

**That’s wonderful, Caspar. Now don’t go too hard on her.**

Caspar sent back a thumbs up emoji and threw himself on his bed, already imagining their future dates, getting to know her better and finally earning himself her kiss. He could do this; he knew it.

* * *

 

She didn’t come down for a few weeks and he missed her. Fortuitously, the cell phone was an amazing thing and while he waited for his friends to get settled for a collab at Jack’s place, he sent her a quick message.

**_I dreamt of you last night_ **

For about ten minutes there was no reply and he wondered if she was busy with Darcy when a soft vibration signaled her response.

**Was I being a good girl?**

He grinned. **_Nope you were bad and I liked it. We were kissing._**

**Was I good? It better be because I know I am a good kisser.**

**_You were the worst tease. You kept giving me these soft kisses and every time I went in for a better kiss you’d pull back and disappear._ **

**Sounds like something I’d do. Are you sure you want a piece of me?**

“Who’s the girl, Caspar?” Jack suddenly interrupted, trying to peek at his phone.

Caspar quickly tried to put the phone away only to have Josh snatch it from him. “Is it the girl you talked about a while ago?”

He was desperate and snatched the phone quickly from Josh’s hand before he could read the name. “Yeah, let me finish.”

“She gotta name, huh?” Jack said, his grin positively predatory. “Let’s see what kind of lines you’ve been using to pull her in.”

Caspar saw the gleam in his friends’ eyes, then glanced over at Connor who looked just as mischievous. Refusing to hand them the phone, he ran like the wind through his friends, rushed to the loo and shut the door tightly on their faces. Making sure it was locked, he ignored the pounding, pressed his back against the door and finally got to return her message.

**_I want more than a piece._ **

**I was worried when you didn’t answer immediately.**

**_Sorry, my friends are distracting._ **

**Should we talk later?**

**_No we can definitely talk now. I miss you._ **

Back in Northampton, Louise smiled at Caspar’s message. He was truly unfiltered with his emotion, but did she miss him? She thought about it and sent a message.

**I’ll be honest, I miss you too.**

**_Really? What do you miss about me?_ **

**No you started the missing game first. What do you miss about me?**

Caspar grinned. **_I miss your eyes. Your smile. I love to make you laugh._**

Louise felt her face grow warm. **You can be quite funny. You have a beautiful smile yourself. The way your eyes crinkle. It’s very fetching.**

**_You like the way I look?_ **

The old question and she had been considering it for a while. She realized that although she’s had a _type_ for a long time now that tastes can change and someone as lovely as Caspar should not be passed up. After all, he could not change who he was physically and she shouldn’t condemn him for it else that would make her quite the hypocrite, wouldn’t it? **You’re not _that_ blonde and you do have such lovely blue eyes, a charming smile and you’re wonderfully tall. Soooo I guess yes. **

Caspar let out a whoop of triumph and swung open the door with a huge grin on his face. “SHE LIKES ME!”

Jack jumped back at the sudden shout and everyone else stared at Caspar wide-eyed. Josh stepped in front. “That’s great, mate. Can you get out of the bathroom now? I gotta take a piss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caspar shows really tender care when it comes to his niece and nephews, so I can only imagine how much it would hurt him to lose a child himself. I doubt he'd get over it so easily, but I know he'd try not to be consumed by it either. I always believed that Louise would relate to him to most about it because she understands parental angst, plus she did train as a counselor at university so something must've stuck.
> 
> Fair warning, things will start getting slightly more juicier as we continue on, but remember, I'm not focusing on sex. It's all about foreplay.


	6. Mama Didn't Raise No Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never underestimate a child's capacity for intelligence and charm.

Through all this dating, Louise had managed to keep Darcy unaware of Caspar, but the little girl was clever which was why she should’ve known better.

“Mummy, did you know Caspar Lee’s mum used to make chocolate?”

Hearing her daughter say his name jarred her from her editing and looked at her in surprise. She had thought her daughter was quietly reading upstairs in her room, which she was. What she hadn’t realized was that the ten-year-old had gotten the copy of Caspar’s book and had been reading it.

Louise didn’t demand to know where Darcy got ahold of the book because she hadn’t bother to hide it. It had been tucked on an open shelf with all the other books, but she did ask, “Why are you reading a book about Caspar Lee?”

“Because you’ve been saying his name a lot.” She answered promptly. “I wanted to know who he was and you had a book about him.” She lifted the blue book up.

“That’s very smart of you.” Louise said. “What did you learn?”

“I learned that he lived in South Africa. He has an older sister called Theodora and his Mummy and Daddy divorced just like you and daddy.” She paused and added,” He’s not very good at school.”

She smiled at her. “What do you think of how he looks?”

“I think he looks lovely.” She said honestly. “He makes very funny faces.”

“He definitely does make funny faces.” She agreed, then reached out to pull her daughter closer. “Do you like him for me?”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

Louise paused at the thought. A friend Caspar definitely was, attractive absolutely, making her feel things beyond platonic, yes, but was he her boyfriend? “Would it be so bad if he was?”

Darcy pondered quietly to herself, swaying a little. “Can I finish the book first?”

“Well, I suppose you can. After all his mum wrote it, not him so I know it’s alright, but I want a full report about him.” She teased.

Her daughter nodded dutifully and ran off to complete her new task.

* * *

 

Caspar usually received fan letters from his P.O. box so he was surprised to see a little letter in his personal mailbox. He was even more surprised to see it was from Louise.

Curiosity burned bright and he quickly ran to his flat so he could read it.

_Caspar,_

_I thought you’d like this. – Louise_

He pulled out a longer piece of paper that appeared to be written by a young hand.

**_My Report On Caspar Lee by Darcy Watson_ **

**_Caspar Lee is a Youtuber like my Mum. He was born in 1994 to Emily and Jon Lee. He has an older sister named Theodora. Caspar Lee was born with a big head and tried to kill his mum. He was a good baby but a loud toddler. His family moved to South Africa so they can work. Caspar’s mummy wanted to give her children lots of adventures and some were fun and some were not. Caspar likes to swim, eat pizza, play sports, his dogs, and wear dresses. When he was little he also had TOURETTE’S Syndrome which means he can’t control what he says. He also had ADD like I boy I know at school. That made me feel sad because other kids at school make fun of him._ **

**_He started making videos on Youtube and became famous. He moved from South Africa to London when he was 17. That’s how he met my mummy. He also knows Zoe and Alfie and Joe. They are all friends. Caspar likes to travel and meet people. Lots of girls like him because they think he’s cute.  He is in movies too. He knew me when I was a baby, but I don’t remember so Mummy had to show me videos. He likes to take pictures in his pajamas with his friends and he loves his mummy very much now._ **

**_He has been seeing my Mummy and taking her out, so I think he likes her. I think my Mummy likes him too because she says his name a lot. His book his very good and he seems nice. I hope to meet him and ask him questions._ **

Caspar grinned throughout the entire reading and upon finishing it called Louise.

“I love this.” He declared when she picked up.

He could hear chuckle. “I’m glad. I had been sarcastic when I told her she could read your book if she made a report. The next thing I know, she’s asking me how to spell a word!”

“So I guess this means she knows about me and you?”

“I keep forgetting what a smart little girl I have.” She admitted. “I didn’t know when I was talking to my mum friends about you that she was keenly listening.”

“You’ve been talking about me to your mum friends? What do they say?” He asked, getting very curious.

Louise sighed. “Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

“That you’re the sexy pool boy neglected housewives dream about.”

Caspar laughed, rolling on the sofa.

She giggled as well. “Remind never to ask you to mow my lawn on a hot day else you’ll suddenly find yourself the unwanted center of attention.”

“I like attention.”

“That you do.”

“I want your attention.” He added.

“Well you have it.” She said a little breathlessly.

He looked at the note in his hand. “I hope to meet Darcy and thank her for her report. Do you think she’d like a letter?”

“Darcy would LOVE a thank you letter. That would be so thoughtful of you, Caspy.”

Later, he scanned the report and sent it to his mum who was so pleased to receive it.

“Caspar, this is darling! Such a sweet girl.” Emily said as she read it on her tablet. “Clearly Louise has raised a fine young lady.”

“I’m writing her a thank you letter.”

“Perfect. Children love receiving things addressed to them.” She approved. “You seem to be doing a fine job with Louise, I gather.”

“I slipped a little at the beginning, but I’m doing my best. I’ve honestly never worked so hard to keep a girl’s attention this long, but I like her and now this,” He looked at Darcy’s letter. “This is really nice.”

“When you find someone of quality you do your best to keep them, Caspar.”

Darcy later squealed with excitement over her thank you letter from Caspar which she quickly hung up on a board with some push pins. Louise was touched by his quick response and was reminded once again that he was become more than just a pretty face to her.

 

* * *

 

Louise came down to London briefly for a meeting and Caspar managed to snatch a few hours for a quick lunch date. He had wanted to be romantic and charming, but wiped out by his own meetings he could only be kind, which was enough for her.

“I’m so tired.” He admitted. “Feel like I could nap for hours.”

“Mm, a nap sounds really good. Maybe a nice warm, gooey pizza beforehand.” She agreed.

Caspar smiled at her. “Now you’re talking. Pizza and nap time. How about a cuddle?”

“Cuddles are nice.”

“I hope to snuggle you someday.” He said, resting back against the booth tiredly.

Louise smiled. “Caspar you already do.”

“No, I want to really snuggle you, like on a cold day on a sofa or a bed with the blankets thrown over us while watching a movie and my arm around you and your head on my shoulder.”

“That does sound lovely.” She admitted, poking at her lunch. “Ugh, I can’t wait to go back home and into my bed.”

“You might knock out while on the train.” He mused.

She shook her head. “I try not to, especially when I’m alone. I hate coffee, but I might have to drink something so I can keep myself up.”

“I always wondered if the house completely yours?”

“Yep, almost.” She nodded, pleased with herself. “Almost got it exactly the way I want it.”

“You achieved a goal that I haven’t gotten to yet.” He admitted.

Louise was intrigued. “And that is?”

“To own a proper house.” He said, then clarified. “But not here. I want a home in South Africa.”

“Oh, you plan to go back in the future?”

“Well not really. What I meant was that instead of staying with my parents every time I go there that I would buy a house of my own that’s close by. That way when I get married and have a family, we have a place and I wouldn’t have to crowd my mum and stepdad.”

“Like a summer home?”

“Yeah, like that. I would keep a flat in London and have a real house in Knysna.”

“Knysna.” She repeated, garbling it a bit.

“Knysna.” He repeated slowly. “More “i” than “ee”.

“Knysna…Knysna. Okay, I got it.” She said confidently. “You have plenty of time to buy a house.”

“I’m already saving up and I’m hoping for a nice three or four-bedroom place one day.” He revealed excitedly.

“I briefly considered buying a flat in London.” She admitted. “Just a small one so I don’t have to keep going to hotels, and have a place for Darcy, but it’s still a bit too steep and I still have stuff I want to fix at home.”

“I’ve never been to your place or Northampton actually. Is it nice?”

“It’s always been home to me. My family is from there; I grew up there. I couldn’t bear to leave it.” She beamed up at home. “My house was the first big purchase I ever made and I’m very proud of it. Matt never once thought to take it from me and for that I’m grateful.”

“Can I come visit you in Northampton?” He asked sincerely.

Louise nodded. “Of course. Can I come and see your beautiful Knysna house when you get it?”

Caspar grinned. “Absolutely.”

When he dropped her off at the elevator at the Youtube Office, he as always desperately wanted to kiss her, but she had yet to say yes, so he did the next best thing. As Louise entered the elevator door he stopped the door from closing and took her hand.

She was startled by his touch and her lost her breath when Caspar lifted her hand to his lips and he warmly kissed her palm, then her fingertips. Her breath caught and her eyes widen with pleasure.

“I’ll call you.” He said softly against her hand before withdrawing.

Her voice caught a moment. “I’ll be waiting.”

Then Caspar disappeared and Louise was left alone in the elevator to cool her burning face.

* * *

 

One night, after another particularly busy day, Louise called him and asked him to join her for drinks. Caspar was pleased; this was the first time she took the initiative. They didn’t go far, going to the bar that was attached to Louise’s hotel and they conversed about the day and exchanging video ideas.

They soon found themselves sitting outside recalling old stories and getting a little giggly.

“I remember that little film you made with Saywer.” She mused, smiling playfully. “You were so cute!”

“I was?” He asked, grinning back.

“Oh yeah. An adorable man boy. Being so responsible too.” She beamed at him. “I hated when they called you a slut. You’re not a slut, Caspar.”

“Thank you!” He said, toasting her with his beer. “And you’re not a prude.”

“Definitely not. I like sex just as much as any other person.” She sipped her shot and studied Caspar. “You know I’ve been wanting to ask. Why do you only date blondes?”

“What?”

“You only date blondes. I have never seen you date anyone not blonde.”

“That is not true!” He protested.

She gave him a look. “Go through your list of girlfriends, and I mean real girlfriends, and prove me wrong.”

Caspar squinted and started recalling the girls from his past, then he pouted. “It’s not on purpose.”

“Mm hm! You know I’m not entirely blonde?”

“You mean the carpet doesn’t match the drapes?”

Louise gasped and slapped his arm. He grinned and giggled. “You pervert!”

“Am not, plus who are you calling a picky dater? You only date older, dark haired men!”

“I’m dating you, aren’t I?” She countered.

“And ain’t I a catch!” He announced proudly before another swig.

“Did I catch you? It feels more like you caught me. I’m curious now. How did I catch you?”

“You didn’t do anything specific.” He mused. “I just looked at you one day at a meet up and I thought, _here’s you shot, mate. Go for her_.”

She smiled. “I was thinking along the same lines when it came to you. You’ve always been this sweet boy and now this _man_ was asking for a date. I was nervous, but yeah, I thought why not? At the very least I’ll get a few good stories and a kiss.”

“You will let me kiss you soon?” He asked sincerely.

“Soon, yes.” She studied his mouth, small but smiling. “I’m not a tease.”

Caspar snorted. “Are too! That outfit you wore on our first date? Tease.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just the once!”

“Oh and some of your videos with you naked in the tub.” He pointed out. “ _Major_ tease!”

She opened her mouth in protest and then just shrugged. “I’m not ashamed of how I looked while bathing.”

“I didn’t say that. I’m just saying.” He burped a little bit. “That you need to think about how hot you look in a tub and what it does to poor guys like me.”

“Most of the people who watch me are ladies.” She countered wrinkling her nose at him.

“I’m sure there are some ladies who liked watching you.” He offered.

The thought made Louise pause mid drink. “I never thought of that before. I suppose I should be flattered.”

“Ever gave it a thought? Lez be honest.”

She whacked his arm for the pun. “No, but I was always ready with an answer if anyone ever asked me in a Q&A.”

“You have a girl’s name lined up in case someone ever asked you? Okay, who is it?”

“Zoe, obviously.” She revealed before finishing her drink.

Caspar snapped his fingers. “Obviously! I’d actually pay to see that.”

“Pervert. What about you?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t give me that. Go on, if you had to kiss another guy who would it be?” Her eyes lit up. “Let me guess! Joe.”

He made a face and fluttered a hand. “Nah, too easy.”

“Marcus?”

“Already did.”

“That pretty one that hangs with your lot. Um…Jack.”

Caspar shrugged. “Now _there’s_ a thought, but no.”

“Josh?”

He gagged. “I’d rather eat my foot.”

“Oli?”

“I licked his cheek once. Does that count?” He mused tapping the top of beer bottle against his lip.

“Probably not, else the time I licked Zoe’s eyeball would count.”

“Ew, Louise!”

“TMI? Soz. Alright, I’m out of ideas. Who?” She asked.

“Dan.”

“Dan. Dan? _MY_ Dan?? Dan Howell?” She asked, shocked and amazed.

Caspar giggled. “Bet you didn’t see that coming.”

Louise tried to say something but it garbled as her tipsy mind tried to process the idea. “I just…oh but….Wow.” Then her mind finally processed. “That sounds kind of hot actually.”

He polished off his bottle. “Pervert.”

She giggled. “Daspar.”

* * *

 

That night, after they parted ways sans kiss, Caspar called his sister.

“So how are you liking her?” Theodora asked as she casually painted her toenails.

“Honestly? A lot. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to a girl so much before actually kissing her.”

“Oh yeah, how is that Pretty Woman situation going?”

“Hate it. I want to kiss her so bad, but she’s still not giving an inch.” Caspar said as he stretched out on his sofa. “It’s getting stressful sometimes.”

“Well,” Theo mused. “Why don’t you do something to get her fired up?”

“How do I do that if I can’t even kiss her!”

“She said you couldn’t kiss her until she gave her consent, right?”

“Right.”

“Did she specify where?”

“I assumed her meant on the lip. I’ve kissed her hand and her cheek.”

“If she’s okay with that then it’s time to start ramping up the foreplay. Her neck is not her mouth. Her shoulders are not her mouth. The human body is covered with nerves, so why don’t you utilize every part to make up for her mouth.”

Caspar let that sink in and the possibilities made him excited. “What if she doesn’t like it?”

“Then you stop.” She said plainly. “It’s all about consent.”

“Alright. Sounds good. Thanks Theo.”

“Welcome.”

After the call, Caspar prepared for bed. He finished his nightly routine, but paused to look at himself in the mirror.

He knew he was a man worth looking at, but he’s always been just a flirt. Now he had to utilize every part of himself and be a seducer. He had Louise’s attention, he was going to make sure she wouldn’t be able to take her eyes off him.

* * *

 

C _lick, click, click, click_

The sound of the camera and the distant playing of music barely distracted Caspar as he posed for the photographer. He had been looking forward to the photo shoot since Louise and the gang were also supposed to get together for it. Unfortunately, Louise sent out a tweet saying she was feeling poorly and couldn’t attend. Although the rest of his friends were there it wasn’t the same, especially since he had a game plan ready.

During a break, he decided to sneak off to a quiet corner and make a call.

“Hello?” A child’s voice chirped at him.

He frowned in surprise. “Hello, um…..Darcy?”

“Yes, who is this please?” She asked politely.

“This is Caspar. Is your mum around?”

“No, my mummy is asleep. She’s sick.”

“Yeah, I wanted to see how she was feeling.” He explained.

“She feels tired.” Darcy explained. “She made me lunch then went to bed coughing and sniffling. I’ve been giving her water and biscuits when she’s hungry.”

“That’s very nice of you.” He said, smiling. “I wish I could help.”

“Are you coming over to see her?”

“Mm no. It’s too late to do that plus I haven’t been invited to your house yet.”

“Oh. Maybe you can send her some soup?”

Caspar frowned. “I don’t know any restaurant in Northampton where I can order soup and send it to her.”

“I do! Wait.” She ran over to the kitchen and opened a drawer where they kept the brochures for carry-out restaurants they liked. “There’s this one where she likes the soup. Can I have the chicken?”

He briefly thought about what was going on. In calling Louise, he got Darcy who has roped him into getting Louise soup and her chicken. He grinned and shook his head. She was a lot smarter than he was that’s for sure.

“You’re very clever you know that Darcy?”

“Thank you.” She replied guilelessly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you like my mum?”

“Yes.”

“A lot?”

“Yes.”

“Will you come up and see us someday?”

“Someday I hope to see you and maybe we can talk some more.”

A pause. “Okay, but first soup and chicken.”

Caspar smiled. “Right.”

Louise was woken up to someone knocking on her door, then Darcy rushed in excitedly.

“Mum! Food is here!”

She frowned in total puzzlement and slowly got up. “Food? What food?”

“The food Caspar ordered.”

That got her attention and she fumbled with her glasses and smoothed her hair back. “Caspar is here? You opened the door without permission??”

Darcy pouted. “No! Caspar is in London. He ordered food for us using the phone.”

_What happened when I was asleep??_ Louise screeched mentally as she went downstairs to open the door. There she was greeted by a delivery man who had a full plastic bag and some white roses. She could only listen, stunned, when the man informed her that the meals were paid in full and that the gentleman who paid gave him extra to buy some flowers.

It was only after she and Darcy ate and she put the roses in a vase that she finally called Caspar.

“I think I love you.” She declared in a stuffy voice.

 Caspar cackled. “I’ll be honest I was just calling to check up on you, but Darcy’s very smart.”

“Too smart.” She agreed. “That is the last time I leave my phone unattended. But I’m….you know you didn’t have to do any of that…..You could’ve told her no.”

“Well if she ever peer pressures me to buy something else I’ll ask your permission first.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” She said gratefully. “And thank you for the roses. They look beautiful even if I can’t smell them.”

“When you feel better I’d like to take you out.”

“I think the next time I’ll be down is for the charity event? Everyone is going to be there.”

Not exactly the best place to be romantic, but Caspar was persistent. “I’ll steal some time for you if you’ll steal some for me.”

Louise smiled and sniffed. “I think I can do that for you.”

He grinned. “You do like me.”

She rolled her eyes at his childishness. “I do.”

“How much?”

“This much.” She giggled.

“I can’t see how much.” He said, grinning.

“You’ll find out when we meet.” She promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This section with Darcy didn't exist until I saw the video Louise's recently released about how to introduce your boyfriend to your child. That got my mind going nuts and I knew I had to insert something with Darcy. Of course this is an older Darcy and I'd like to think with a teacher for a father and Louise as a mother that she's very smart and world-wise. Comment and let me know how you like it.


	7. Caspar: The Seducer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to give Louise a taste of South African heat.

With that bit of flirting boosting his confidence, Caspar was determined to get some time with Louise at the event. He knew he’d have to be slick about it since all their friends and representatives would be there.

Not surprisingly, Louise was looking breath taking in a navy-blue dress that had a wide sparkly band that encompassed her waist perfectly and to top it off, the dress was off the shoulders with wide straps that kept the dress from sliding off as well as accentuated the plunging line of cleavage that was definitely eye-catching.

The tease.

Louise had thought she over-dressed but the look in Caspar’s eyes told her she chose correctly. She felt a hot blush flush her cheeks and already her heart was fluttering as he came forward to give her to what appeared to others as just a friendly hug. However, he paused briefly to whisper….

“How much?”

His breath was hot and she shuddered before looking up at him through perfectly curled lashes. “So much.”

“Caspar, you going to let her go along enough for the rest of us to say hello?” Joe interrupted.

“Oh, sorry.” He said, immediately playing the fool and stepping back so that he could hug her.

“My word,” said Joe once he drew back and took her in. “You keep looking more and more lovely.”

“Oh Joe.” She smiled modestly.

“It’s true though.” Caspar chimed in. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

She beamed and brushed a hand through her perfectly done hair.

“If you don’t mind, can you give us a moment, Louise?” Joe asked suddenly.

“Of course. I’m just going to say hi to the others.”

Joe smiled. “You do that.” Once she left he grabbed Caspar’s arm and pinched hard.

“Ow! What??” Caspar said, rubbing his arm.

“I know that look on your face.” Joe said harshly. “You get it when you spot a girl you fancy.”

“The fuck-”

“Not Louise, alright? She’s a friend and not for fun!” He reprimanded.

“It’s not like that alright? She caught me off guard. I mean she’s usually always so well dressed but tonight….” He sighed and glanced at her.

“No yeah, I understand. Lately she’s become more……eye catching.” Joe agreed, glancing at her. “Seems like she’s caught someone else’s eye.”

Caspar looked and saw green. Some guy not known to them was trying to catch her attention and his eyes were drifting over her cleavage. Nope, he wasn’t having this tonight.

“Joe, I’m going to need you to shut up and let me do what I have to do.” Caspar said and marched over towards Louise and the stranger.

“Hey Louise, honey. Here I got your wine.” He said loudly, giving her a glass of wine he snatched from a table and slipping a possessive arm around her waist before facing the man.

Louise, who had been wondering how to dismiss the man was surprised by Caspar’s sudden presence, but quickly realized what he was up to and seamlessly played along.

“Hi, I see you’ve met my girlfriend and found her to be quite beautiful.” He beamed smugly. “But she’s with me and now I’m going to interrupt whatever thought you had and take my beautiful girlfriend over there.”

With those smooth words, he led her away from him.

Louise was amused and slightly offended. “Thank you and that was slightly rude.”

“Not sorry, especially when it comes to guys hitting on you.” He countered as he led her towards friends.

“Can I do the same if a girl hits on you?” She asked.

“I’d love it.” He said and added. “Make me yours.”

Her heart flipped and it continued to flip throughout the rest of the night. Something must’ve been in the water, because Caspar was cranking up the flirtation. She didn’t know if he was doing it to drive her crazy or to give the other guy who’s been eyeing her further proof, but with ninja deftness he was touching her.

Drawing themselves back into their nest of friends, no one suspected as Caspar traced the delicate skin of her back with just the tips of his fingers or that sometimes his hand would drift up to her neck so that his thumb could massage her delicately. He would burrow his face against her neck often and she’d lose her breath as his lips faintly caressed her. No one even suspected. If she went off to dance, be it guy or girl, he would watch intensely and sometimes join in, being goofy and spontaneous in a way that made Louise smile.

She felt surrounded by him, but not choked. If anything, she felt nurtured and spoilt in such a way that made her feel like she was falling deeper for Caspar.

For Caspar, this was a waiting game until later when he could get her properly alone. He remembered the boundaries he set himself, but he had to admit he was excited. She was responsive and giving and it only wet his appetite for more.

As the night wore on, Louise tired first and despite protests that she stay longer, she waved off her friends and headed to her appointed hotel room. She was rather disappointed when she didn’t see her favorite blonde about, suspecting he was probably in the bathroom, and promised herself she would send him a good night text.

As she waited for the elevator, the sudden sound of shoes skidding on the carpet surprised her. She looked over and smiled to see Caspar who only looked slightly disheveled.

“I thought I’d miss you.” He said.

“No, you caught me on time. I was going to text you later.” She replied.

“Glad I didn’t miss you. I wanted to walk you to your room and make sure that guy didn’t try anything.”

“Oh, I doubt anything like that was going to happen, but thank you for your thoughtfulness, Caspy.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t really get to talk.”

Louise smiled faintly. “I think your hands did the talking for you.”

The elevator arrived and they got on.

“It’s getting harder not to touch you.”

“Should I be flattered?”

“Are you?”

“Yes, I am.” She looked him over and sighed. “You’re getting more attractive the longer I look at you.”

“Enough for a kiss?” He arched a brow, blue eyes brighter.

Feeling bold she reached up and brushed his lips with her thumb. “Oh yes, definitely.”

He leaned down close and she turned her head giving him her cheek. His parted lips breathed hotly and he sighed heavily. “Tease.”

“Perhaps I am.” She admitted, looking at and lightly kissing his chin. “Maybe I like the way you look when you’re hungry.”

He lifted his hand to cup her face and his own thumb swift over her soft lips. Those lips kissed him, then nipped gently on the tough flesh there, awakening the nerves.

Caspar sucked in a breath and Louise blushed at her own boldness. Suddenly embarrassed, she swiftly left the elevator the moment it opened.

He refused it to let it end this way. Following after her, he rapidly turned her around and firmly pinned her against the wall next to her hotel door. She gasped, shocked.

The air had gotten hot, really hot and Louise felt her spine tingle as Caspar invaded her personal space; blue eyes blazing with dangerous intent. For one terrifying moment, she thought that he was going to kiss her and an even more terrifying voice in her mind encouraged her to let him. Instead he surprised her by stopping a hairs breath away before their bodies touched.

For moment Louise thought about dismissing him, sending him back to his room before anyone could see them but before she could even moisten her dry throat Caspar’s fingers deliberately grazed hers and the electricity was immediate. Her breath caught and words died in her throat as his long fingers caressed her length of her hands before moving oh so slowly up the length of her bare arms and he stroked the bend of her arms with a gentle sweep of his thumbs. Goosebumps flared as his fingers continued upwards where they paused briefly at her softly rounded shoulders.

“You hide so much of yourself and it drives me crazy.” Caspar murmured as his fingers traced little circles over her shoulders, playing with the straps of her dress. “Your skin is so soft…..I can’t keep my hands off of you.”

Louise trembled under his touch, unable to speak, unable to make him stop, then his fingers traced her neck and the fine bones of her collar and her head tilted slightly in submission. Her heart was racing, her body throbbed with a hot spike of arousal.

He watched her melt under his fingers and it was all he could do not to drag her into the room and ravish her. After all, patience was not his strong suit and he was harder than he’s ever been, but he liked to tease too and was determine to drive her out of her mind. She was breathing hard and her breasts looked so inviting. Slowly, gently so he didn’t overwhelm her, he lowered the straps of her dress until they flopped over her arms.

Louise’s eyes were shut with arousal and she hadn’t completely realized what Caspar had done until his devilish fingers skimmed down and stroked the top curves of her generous breasts. A gasp escaped her when the fingertips tickled the edge of her bra that peeked from her dress. She gasped and it echoed softly.

“Shh, not too loud. ” Caspar whispered as he gazed longingly at the beautiful flesh his fingers were caressing, wondering what the weight would feel in his hands if he cupped them. “I use to get so jealous of your husband. That he could touch so much of you anytime he wanted…..I want to touch you Louise. I’ve dreamt of touching you. I can do…..so much for you.”

Louise could hear the frustration and longing in his voice and it sang to the ache inside her own body. Every voice of logic that screamed to her the reasons why she should not give any part of herself to Caspar was muted as he cupped her face in his hands and he pressed his forehead against hers, his nose brushing hers almost kitten like.

“Caspar I-”

“Don’t say my name that way.” He groaned against her, his eyes opened and the intensity of blue froze her in place. “Don’t, unless you want me to kiss you right here, right now. And I want to kiss you, Louise, so bad.”

She wanted his kiss. He was so, so close. All she had to do was lift her face an inch and his lips would be on hers and then nothing would stop them. He could strip her of her dress right there in the hallway and take her inside the room in a frenzy of passion. She would let him; she would clutch him tight and cry out in relief as he made love to her.

She was ready for him. Caspar could see the shimmer in her eyes, the parting of her lips and the breathless gasps for air. He leaned close and kissed her forehead.

Louise was flabbergasted when he slowly pulled the straps of her dress back into place and stepped back. He fisted his trembling hands and shoved them into his coat pockets before looking frustrated yet sheepish.

“Caspar, I don’t understand.” She finally said, finding her voice.

The handsome blonde shrugged his shoulders and took a small step back. “Not yet. I need to prove to you that I can wait until you want me.”

“I do want you!” She blurted out and flushed with embarrassment at her fervor.

Caspar smiled and quickly leaned down to kiss her cheek before whispering in her ear. “For more than tonight. I want more than that.”

His words echoed in her mind as he slowly walked away.

She didn’t sleep that night. The ache he had left her with needed to be sated.

* * *

 

Some gatherings were fancier than others, which required a little more glam. That was fine, but sometimes you have situations where the time one needs to look glamorous had to be achieved in a not so glamorous space.

Many of Gleam crew had been in and out of offices all day. Caspar was mildly annoyed that he had to bring his suit with him since he had back to back meetings, which meant he had to get dressed there and then be driven to the theatre where the event was taking place.

It had been a fruitless day with no real ideas and plans falling through. Combine that with an abysmal lunch and the results were a cranky Caspar who now headed to change into a stiff, itchy suit.

The Gleam offices took over a lot of space, one of which had once been a small boutique that had dressing rooms. They kept the rooms in case of photoshoots or emergencies. He headed to them now and paying little attention to his surroundings walked into a dressing room and pulled over the curtain.

He could hear someone playing music in one of the rooms, making him aware that there were others near him, but he paid little mind. The song “Love Me Like You Do” blared out pleasantly. He was half dressed when he heard some curtains draw back and the sound of heels on carpet.

“Alright, I’m ready. Do you need any help?” Maddy asked someone.

“No, I’m fine. Go on, I’ll just be taking my time.”

Caspar paused, shocked. Louise was in here and suddenly his heart accelerated. He didn’t move until he heard Maddy leave the dressing room. Only then did he pull his curtain back a bit and looked around. She was in the opposite room diagonal from him and one of them must have moved the curtain because from his angle he could see her.

The guy who had been raised by a strong mother and clever sister immediately knew he should not be looking. On the other hand, the naughty boy in him that had been craving some satisfaction would not let his gaze sway.

Her golden hair was swept up and wore an unremarkable flesh tone bra, but he focused on her generous backside as she started to wiggle out of her jeans. The way her hips swayed was mesmerizing and the soft panty briefs hugged her bum perfectly.

He swallowed thickly as she bent down to retrieve her jeans, displaying her lush, generous cleavage. Instantly he was rock hard and his heart pounded madly against his chest. He leaned against the wall and fought back a sigh. He may be older, but he would always be a breast man and Louise had always had the best pair.

As a shallow, impulsive 18-year-old, Caspar was shameless when it came to getting close to Louise and she would sometimes, but only sometimes, indulge him so long as he didn’t touch anything. However, he was far beyond such childish tactics and truly he ought to stop looking.

Then like magic her hand went around her back and off came her bra. As she slid the bra off, his eyes caressed the pale smoothness of her back and longed to nibble on the tempting nape of her neck. She lifted her arms up to put on a black slip and before he could process, he saw the side of one breast and an almond brown nipple. He covered the gasp with his hand and violently looked away. His head began to spin and he closed his eyes, but the image was seared into his brain. Lust, desire, need coursed through his body and his groin _pained_ him.

While focusing on gaining control over himself, he had ignored the music that had been playing until Louise decided to sing along, as she tend to do sometimes. Her slightly off key singing brought him back enough to calm down. Deciding to make himself known, he first closed the curtain firmly over his stall and loudly cleared his throat.

Louise stopped singing and stiffened. “Who is it??” She turned around noticed the gap and closed the curtain around her stall.

“Hi Louise.”

_What are the chances? I mean seriously!_ She thought as she scrambled the skirt of her dress around her waist. “Caspar? What are you doing here??”

“Getting dressed, same as you. Haven’t heard you sing for a while.” He said, pressing a hand over his groin and quietly begging it to go down.

“I, uh, thought I was alone.”

“Um, do you want me to leave?” He offered as he put the long sleeve shirt on hastily.

A part of her wanted to say _yes, most definitely!_ He’d been seducing and teasing her these weeks now and the thought of him and her, half dressed with only flimsy fabric curtains for protection made her shiver. Yet in the same thought, he’d been seducing and teasing her these weeks and the thought of him and her, half-dressed with only flimsy fabric for protection excited her.

Oh, she needed a drink something serious.

“Oh, no, no. We can dress and behave ourselves responsibly, can’t we?” She blustered.

Caspar felt a hot blush of guilt come over him. He had just failed to behave himself responsibly not ten seconds ago. “Yeah, yeah, I think we can. Are you alright? You sound like you’re struggling.”

“The button on the skirt is being a pain!” She whined, still working fast to clothe herself.

“We’re not late or anything, slow down. You might get it caught on your knickers.” As he fussed with his tiny cuff button.

Louise frowned. “Caspar have you seen my knickers??”

He knew he shouldn’t, he really, really shouldn’t. “The pink and grey ones? Nope.”

“Caspar!!”

“You did not have the curtain completely closed!!” He protested, swearing to himself that he will not admit to the rest of his voyeurism. “I must admit, they’re pretty cute.”

Louise’s face took on a color of red that spread up to her ears. “I’m going to kill you!”

She shot out of her dressing room and ripped his curtain back. Caspar yelped and pressed himself back against the mirrored wall. He closed his eyes and prepared for death - which would be okay with him since he got to see one of Louise’s boobs and it was totally worth it, though his mother will smack the daylights out of him when they reunite in heaven – instead he blurted out.

“Wait, wait, wait!!” He lifted his arm and pointed at his sleeve. “Can you help me put my cuffs on? The buttons are too small.”

Louise stared at him, tried not to register the fact that he looked quite good in dark trousers and a crisp, unbutton white shirt, and rolled her eyes at him. “Honestly Caspar!”

“I’d like to leave a nice dressed corpse for my mum to find before you kill me.”

“Oh shut up and give here.” She commanded and he gave her his sleeve. He was keeping a safe distance, which was ridiculous and she yanked him closer.

That was a mistake. It brought them closer together and heated anger, turned into heated desire.

The dressing room felt crowded and Caspar knew they should not be there, but Louise in a body hugging black slip was too much to pass up and she did not turn him away. On the contrary, the grip she had on his unbuttoned shirt didn’t allow him to leave.

Since that moment when his hands first touched her they’d been playing a very seductive game. She wanted his touch badly, but didn’t want to give into him so easily. He yearned to touch her again and the look in her green eyes told him that she desired him too, but he was determined to be patient.

Louise had seen Caspar undressed many times, but this was the first time she was _intensely_ aware of his physical sexiness, the muscles of his body, the male scent. She did her best to focus hard on buttoning the cuff of his shirt sleeve and not on the developed muscles of his stomach. Her hands trembled a little as she fastened the button, her fingered itched so badly with curiosity, feeling the heat of him.

He could see her pulse flutter against her naked throat. There was so much skin on display that he couldn’t even conjure up the ability to speak. All he wanted to do was pin her up against the wall and worship her with his mouth.

“The other cuff?” She asked breathlessly, her eyes sliding up his body and staring into his gaze. The desire coming from his baby blues were enough to make her shiver.

Caspar offered the other cuff and she obediently started to button him up. She refused to look up at him again. His gaze was too intense and arousal spread over her body, making it ache. It’s been way too long since she’d been touch and the fact that he hadn’t was becoming an agony.

Her tongue managed to free itself from the roof of her mouth, allowing her to speak. “You look nice.”

He shrugged and the muscle of his chest flexed slightly, causing her gaze to focus intensely on it. “I look about the same.”

“No, you look nice. Really nice.” She released his cuff and her fingers stretched out to caress his chest only to stop. “It’s amazing you…you don’t have more girls throwing themselves at you.”

He wanted to feel her and it pained him when she drew back a little. Impulsively, he took her retreating hand in his. Enfolded in his large grip, she felt tiny. Her heart fluttered when he brought her fingertips up to his mouth for a little kiss, but she finally looked at him when he pressed her hand against his chest.

“I don’t want girls.” He answered. “I want a woman.”

He was literally hot. His skin was on fire, but it felt soft and smooth under her fingertips. His own hands were not idle, one tracing the length of her arm, the other circling her waist. Before she knew it, she was trapped in an embrace and her body was pressed firmly against his naked torso. The hand that was caressing her arm was now stroking her back, the fingertips delicately tracing her skin. She shuddered and sank against him. She pressed her cheek against his chest and the soft little sound of pleasure that she heard made her smile faintly.

She fit perfectly in his arms and the sensation of her skin against his was electric. He rested his cheek against her soft, soft hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. What wouldn’t he give to stay with her like this. He yearned to trace the curves of her body with hands and mouth. He breathed harshly against her hair as he thought about it.

He was gorgeous to the touch, but she could hear how hard his heart was racing and grew concerned. “Caspar, you’re shaking.”

“I’m trying to control myself.” He murmured, kissing her temple.

“Why?” She said looking up at him, concerned.

Caspar looked down into her wide green eyes. “Because I want you.”

She blushed hard and looked down modestly. “Caspar, I’m just-”

“-The most beautiful woman I’ve seen. I’ve known since I met you.” He countered.

“I am _nothing_ like the girls you dated before.” Was her rebuttal.

“No, you’re not, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want you.” He admitted. “It might’ve been a crush before, but it’s not now.”

“What is it now?” She demanded.

He stared at her hotly. “It’s a want. I want, Louise. I want….” And his lips kissed her cheek. She moved away so he did not steal a kiss. He took the opportunity to kiss her bare throat. “I want…..” Her shoulders and collarbone were at his mercy as he gently traced them with his teeth.

Louise’s head tilted back and she moaned. The sensation of his tongue on her flesh made her damp all over. His hands wandered down to her generous hips, slipped under her skirt and clasped her cheeks possessively. She whimpered and pressed herself against his greedy hands.

She was dewy with moisture and he sampled her shamelessly. This is what he dreamt of for so long and when she tunneled her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer, he knew she liked it. Boldly he dipped a kiss between her buxom cleavage and the tip of his tongue tasted the satin skin between them.

_Too much too much too much!_ Her brain pleaded, overwhelmed with sensations and Louise had to wrench his head from her so she could look at him.

“Too much.” She gasped, her eyes shimmering with lust. “No time……Not here.”

The dressing room had turned into a sweatbox and Caspar was breathing hard, perspiration on his brow. If she hadn’t pushed him away, he probably would not have stopped. He’d touched more of her than he’d ever had before and it was a torment to be denied, but her words made sense. They didn’t have time, and as the blood left his cock and returned to his brain, he knew that this was not how he wanted to make love to her. He’d work too hard for that! So, with a heavy swallow, he nodded and drew back.

Louise was so pleased when he complied. She caressed his face in thanks and he kissed her palm before straightening up.

“I’m probably late.” He rasped out.

She nodded. “Yes.” She took a step back. “I need to finish getting dressed.”

He started to step away. “Right…..Um…..Can I see you later?”

Each encounter kept getting more and more sensual and Louise felt herself weaken bit by bit. It was a terrible torment that she started to crave, but refused to admit it. “Yes.”

* * *

 

A group of them were on their way to America. Convention time was always exciting especially since now they had so many separate projects that pulled them apart, being reunited allowed them to catch up on each other. For a while, all Louise could focus on was talking to old friends and getting herself properly settled on the plane. She was also very excited about the fact that she’d be seeing Marie BitsandClips and rooming with her again.

Then Caspar set his bag down on the seat next to hers. She stared at his grinning face with mouth agape.

“How did you manage this?”

“Magic.” He replied smoothly.

Louise looked around as their friends were busy vlogging or settling their luggage. “Swear, you will keep those devilish hands to yourself!” She whispered sharply.

He lifted said fingers up and wiggled them. “I could be a good boy, if you want me to.”

That’s what she was afraid of, her own self-control.

“Louise, feed me a strawberry.” Caspar asked, eyeing her fruit salad.

“No, you’ll be too sexual about it.”

“I won’t! Alfie, tell her I won’t be sexual about it.”

Alfie, who was in the seat in front of them poked his head above it. “Louise, he’s going to be sexual about it.”

She smiled triumphantly at Caspar.

“Fuck you, Alfie!”

Alfie laughed and resumed his seat.

He decided to utilize a secret weapon. He curled up to her side, made his eyes all big and pouted.

He looked like a precious moments doll. Dammit. Louise offered up a strawberry. “Blighter.”

Grinning triumphantly, he leaned over to take it.

Just as she suspected, he took the strawberry from her fingers with his mouth. His blue eyes locked on hers as he carefully took the plump fruit delicately between his teeth. Licking his lips approvingly, he hummed with pleasure. “Tasty.”

Louise arched an elegant brow. “Not such a good boy already.”

“I’ll get better.”

“Promises, promises.”

He did restrain himself though, there were too many friends and too many vlogging cameras on to do anything serious. He listened to her talk about Marie and others, like Louis who he himself was excited to see again.

Along the way the plan got hit with a surge of turbulence that made her very nervous. He took her hand in his and squeezed gently. “I got you.” He assured her.

Louise gave him a nervous smile and squeezed back. “Thank you.”

Things calmed down and Caspar hadn’t planned to take a nap, but soon he opened his bleary eyes to a darkened cabin and the very pleasant sight of Louise curled up, asleep.

She looked adorable, surrounded by fluffed pillows and her coat. To think, one day he might wake up to her like this. It made him genuinely excited. He reached out and gently traced the side of her face with his fingertips before stopping at her lips. He yearned to wake her with a kiss. She gently flinched and opened a sleepy eye at him.

“What are you doing?” She slurred out.

Caspar smiled at her grumpy face. “Falling in love, I think.”

She was far too sleepy for such a romantic declaration, but nevertheless her stomach flipped and her heart soared.

“Caspy…..” She yawned. “…..so sweet.” She reached out and rested her hand on his neck, caressing his jawline. “…..so handsome.”

He sighed and leaned to her touch. “Keep that up and I won’t be good.”

Louise glanced quickly around them, then back to him. “Good.” She leaned forward and just when it looked like she was going to kiss him, she paused to yawn. “Sorry.”

“Are you? Hm…” He mused aloud and touched her lips again. She smiled faintly and pecked his fingertips.

“S’nice.” She murmured, tilting her head and arching her neck. His fingers did their devilish work as he caressed any bare skin he could trace. Seemingly cocooned in their seats in blankets and darkness, they gazed at each and longed for more.

Pleasure spread quickly and she squirmed for more. He slid a hand underneath her blanket and found her legs. Glad that she on tights instead of jeans he caressed and squeezed possessively.  

At this point she no longer felt sleepy and she was keenly aware of how inappropriate this was becoming, but the desire to say no was not there, especially when his mouth found her throat and began to murmur promises. Promises of his eyes only for her. His hands hungry to caress. His tongue eager to taste and his body begging to drive deep.

Louise felt herself go slack under Caspar’s tender attention until she heard a soft snore close by that reminded them that they were surrounded. She wet her lip before saying, “C-Caspar….there are too many people.”

His hand was on her thigh and his lips were on her neck, so he didn’t give a damn who heard them, but he understood that she did. What he needed was a change in venue. He murmured against her, “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” She admitted honestly.

“Come with me.” He said, pulling away and standing up.

Louise shook a bit as she took his hand and obediently followed him. She noticed all the sleeping people and was silently grateful that no one was watching them. The only conscious flight attendant was in the back, organizing and they moved to the front. At first she didn’t know what he was planning until he opened the door to the restroom and coaxed her in.

Louise was utterly confused when she went in but not him. It only lasted for a few minutes though when he went inside as well.

The first-class restroom was bigger than regular, but it was still a cramped space. She was smothered in Caspar, but she didn’t mind at all as she slid her arms around his waist to pull him in.

“Where was I? Right.” He said and firmly pinned her against the sink.

He leaned down and she offered her lips to him, but he merely rested her forehead against hers, wanting to stare into her beautiful green eyes as he started to move.

Louise shuddered at the first brush of his hips against her. At first she thought he was just moving closer, then as the motion continued she began to realize what he was doing.

Leggings hid nothing and she felt the hard lump against Caspar’s jeans as he rubbed up and down against her crotch. Instead of pushing him away her greedy hands wandered down to grasp his firm bum and pull him closer.

She started to move back and Caspar bit back a gasp. “Louise.” He whispered faintly.

Just like the dressing room, they were trapped in a sweatbox as they dry humped each other. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he was fighting between coming too fast and catching a breath. He was spellbound by the sparkle of heat that filled her eyes and her tiny, helpless whimpers.

At some point his jeans slipped down to his thighs and only a few strips of soft cotton came between them and total intimate knowledge. The rhythm of their hips was perfectly in sync. What minor fabric irritation there was, was now gone as she quickly became smooth and soft against him.

The scent was thick in the room and he wanted to taste her so badly. He throbbed and strained and she pulled him closer and closer between her thighs.

She felt him, thick and long, and hungered to know more. He looked so pained and pleased above her. His muscles tensed and insane thoughts filled her head. Her body ached, she wanted to be filled, deep, hard, repeatedly.

“I….Caspar….I….” She murmured.

“Tell me…..tell me.” He murmured against cheeks, leaning close to kiss her.

“I-” She strained and her body arched as ecstasy consumed her. “-you were inside of…”

Caspar came, gritting his teeth as he fought not to shout. Pleasure, overdue, hit him and he ground tight against her, rubbing just the right place to send her crashing into her own climax. She bit down on her lip to muffle the moan.

Caspar felt a flash of guilt once he stopped shuddering. He can’t even remember the last time he dry humped and he wondered if he’d crossed a line with Louise. Catching his breath, he looked at her and licked his dry lips. “You liked?”

Louise’s heart thudded loudly in her ears so she nearly missed his husky question. She nodded slowly.

He smiled faintly. “Scratch that off the bucket list.”

She thought about it for a moment and smiled faintly. “Wasn’t even on my list.” She winced. “Sink is hurting my back.”

He drew back and grimaced at the cold sensation on his crotch. “Ugh, this is going to feel weird.”

Louise rolled her dress back down and smoothed her hair back. “Still worth it?”

He grinned. “To see your face when you come? Yes.”

She blushed furiously and he impulsively kissed her cheek.

“You should go out first.” He murmured against her hair. “I got to clean up.”

“Okay.” She kissed him back. “Good Night……and um…thank you.”

“Welcome.” He said. “Good Night.”

On skittish legs, Louise walked back to her seat. Much to her relief, no one had stirred and she sat back down with sigh. She assessed herself and finally felt the first tinge of embarrassment. She also felt a deepening ache. She had a taste of what he could physically offer and he had stroked the fire for more.

As she closed her eyes, exhaustion settling in, her thoughts were not on their age difference or their likeliness for success, but what he would feel like inside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, having Thanksgiving with the family. Let me know if the foreplay was any good, yeah?


	8. Better Than IHOP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caspar is not done earning Louise's love. Louise makes a decision. Fun was had by all.

Things were getting quite serious with Caspar and Louise feeling anxious despite loving his attention. How no one had even noticed their sexual tension confused her, or probably not. They were both so flirty that she assumed they thought they were playing it up for the camera. She wished desperately for Hazel, but she was much too far, so the only other person available was darling Marie.

If Marie had known what her good friend was about to confess to her, she would’ve brought a fan.

“Does dry humping count as being part of the mile-high club?” She wondered aloud.

Louise, who had been busy unpacking replied. “Orgasm was achieved, so I definitely believe it’s a yes.”

“I can’t recall what Caspar looked like. It’s been a while.”

She took out her phone and showed her a few pictures. Marie hummed in approval.

“A little fresh faced, but he’s definitely not someone I’d turn away.”

“Ugh, I don’t know what’s happening to me. Before he was just silly, flirty Caspar Lee.” She sighed and brushed her fingers through her hair. “Now he’s become sex on legs.”

“Nice legs on him.” Marie agreed as she looked at another picture. “Have you seen the rest of him?”

Louise took the phone, skimmed down a few and showed her another picture. Marie’s brows shot up and her hand rested on her bosom. “Oh my. May I offer a word of advice?”

“Please.”

“To quote the famous philosopher, Beyoncé: If you like it, then you should put a ring on it.”

Louise barked out a laugh and they both snorted.

* * *

 

Caspar waited until Joe was asleep in the other bed before texting his sister.

**_I might have joined the mile-high club_ **

Theodora’s eyes widened in shock. **I might have to kill you. WHAT DID YOU DO????**

**_We were sitting next to each other on the flight. We got to talking, we got flirty and then I kindof took her to the first-class restroom_ **

**I told you to heat her up not stick yourself in the oven!!!**

**_There was no sticking!!! There was just rubbing of the oven!_ **

**With what??**

**_With my handle? Wait when you mean oven you mean her vag, right?_ **

**Oh God Caspar. What happened after??**

**_Nothing, we got back to our seat and had a nice flight. I told her if I could see her later and she said definitely. She likes me!_ **

**I’m happy for you little brother, I am, but so far you’ve gotten handsy in a hallway, a dressing room and now an airplane restroom. Can you try to seduce your girlfriend in a not so public space??**

**_Wow I didn’t even think about that. Okay, sure._ **

**And bring her a present or something at this point it’s safe to say she deserves it!**

* * *

 

Caspar had the decency to bring her lunch before he began his seduction of the day. She had arrived back to her hotel room late with Marie and barely got any sleep before she had to attend her first panel. Too tired to even be hungry she rushed back up to her room to take a serious power nap. She was woken up to a knocking at her door four hours later.

At the sight of Caspar, her heart leapt to her throat. She had known he’d come eventually and had fretted about it. The last intimate embrace was seared into her soul and she trembled now that they were alone again.

“Hi,” He said, holding up a white IHOP bag. “you looked cranky so I brought you breakfast for lunch.”

All thoughts of what his ulterior motives might have been died at the promise of warm IHOP pancakes in maple syrup. She grabbed him and dragged him in, bag and all. Soon Caspar was pulling the small table up against her bed and she was savoring every delicious mouthful.

Every happy little noise that escaped her lips amused him and it made him all the gladder that he could do this for her. As he waited for her to finish, he moved around her room and took a peek of the balcony.

“You have a better view of the city.” He observed. “Joe and I are facing the other end so we only see the parking lot.”

“I’m lucky, I guess.” Louise said, glancing over her shoulder with a smile.

“I’m lucky too.” Caspar said as his eyes wandered over the fall of soft blonde hair. She was wearing a black tank top with spaghetti straps. He could briefly see the whole skin of her back and shoulders. “You’re so beautiful.”

A blush rushed over her face, feeling exposed and vulnerable. She turned away so she could finish her orange juice. All hopes were dashed when she felt a sudden weight bear down on the bed she was sitting on. Her eyes fluttered shut as clever fingers reached out and brushed her long hair aside over a shoulder. The weight on the bed shifted again and she gasped a little when a warm breath whispered in her ear.

“Tell me no at any time.”

The word was already on her tongue. She should not let this happen again, especially here and now where no one could see or hear them for hours. Then his mouth touched the middle of her back and she sighed. He planted soft, warm kisses up the length of her spine before stopping at the back of her neck. Pleasure punched her hard in the gut when she felt the tip of Caspar’s tongue, then a gentle bite on her vulnerable flesh.

“Caspar!”

“You liked that?”

“Y-Yes. No. Oh my God.” She stammered, trembling.

Caspar chuckled hotly against her neck and nibbled the length of her shoulder. Catching the straps with his teeth he pulled down one side, then the other. Again, her breasts were half hidden to his eyes, but they were flushed a pretty pink. He glanced up at her face and observed the closed eyes and the parted lips. So sexy.

“Can I touch them?” He asked, kissing the tender space underneath her ear.

Louise had to blink the clouds away from her eyes before she could comprehend what he was asking. She had started to forget who Caspar Lee was to her: a young, impulsive, childish, handsome flirt. Now this man had emerged and he had deviously teased her, arousing her in ways that no man ever had. It had been so long, so long since she’d felt this good.

“Yes.” She said very softly.

Caspar smothered a groan with a bite on his lip and moved up closer to her until he was kneeling behind her and her lovely bottom was wedged perfectly between his legs. Slowly and gently, he slid his hands underneath her arms and into her tank top. Her skin was the softest of soft and this time he could not stop the moan as his hands finally cupped her breasts.

She was throbbing with pleasure and whimpered as he cupped her. Her fingers bit down on the edge of the bed as he caressed her. He was breathing hard against her cheek and she was dying to kiss him.

“You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to do this.” He moaned. “They’re so perfect……”

He had large hands with long fingers, but her breasts filled them perfectly. He brushed and caressed her breasts so gently that Louise whimpered with every touch, until his fingers found her nipples and stroked firmly. Shocking pleasure shot through her body and she cried out. She squirmed and arched as he tormented her nipples, driving her straight out of her mind.

“Caspar….please, Caspar….”

“Let me kiss you there. I’ll be gentle…Please.” Desperation colored his voice, making it deeper, huskier. She did not understand how much he fantasized about this, about touching her, about tasting what he could only glimpse at.

She didn’t care anymore; the pleasure was too much. She barely gave her consent before Caspar managed to manhandle her into an awkward position on the bed. She helped him push her top enough to leave herself half bare. He loomed above her and she captured his face between her hands. He looked so raw, so desperately hungry. She wanted to devour his mouth in kisses.

Caspar kept his promise. His mouth was gentle and thorough and Louise was tugging on his hair hard, pulling him closer to her tender flesh. His tongue curled around a nipple, then the other and she arched against him. He squeezed her lush mounds and suckled with greed, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest as he fulfilled a desire he’d had since he first laid eyes on her.

Who knew how long his teasing went, but she didn’t want it to end. If he kissed her the game would be up and she’d end up making love to him right then and there. Caution was being thrown to the wind and she began to pull up his shirt. Caspar sat up long enough to yank the shirt off him and Louise marveled at the sight.

“You want this? Honestly?” He asked, his chest heaving for air.

“Yes, definitely yes.”

“Louise?!” Joe called out. A hard knock on the door followed. “Are you awake? I’m looking for Caspar.”

Louise looked at the door, then at Caspar, horrified. Caspar slapped a hand over his face in utter frustration.

“Ummmm.” She began not knowing what to say.

“Tell him I’m in the bathroom and I brought you IHOP.” He whispered hotly before grabbing his shirt, hopping off the bed and rushing to the bathroom.

Louise scrambled off the bed and struggled to put her top on and not look like she was about to fuck Caspar Lee. “He’s in the bathroom, Joe!” She called out before she yanked open the door with more force than was necessary. They both jumped as the doorknob smashed into the wall.

Joe gave her a funny look. “You look like you just rolled out of bed. Sorry, I was just looking for Caspar. What is he doing here?”

Louise smoothed back her hair self-consciously. “He brought me pancakes from IHOP.”

“Yeah, you missed breakfast and lunch. That was nice of him.” He glanced over Louise’s shoulder. “Hey Caspar! You almost done? Me and the boys are gonna hit the pool. Coming??”

The sound of flushing could be heard and Caspar emerged “Uh yeah sure. Want to join us Louise?”

“Oh! No, I don’t think so. I’ll just finish my pancakes and do some washing up.”

“Okay, suit yourself. Hope you feel better.” Joe shrugged as Caspar stepped out behind him. “You’re still on for tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Louise confirmed. “Got an outfit ready and everything.”

Caspar smiled at her. “You’ll look great. I know it.”

Louise swallowed thickly as his eyes took on their intense blue. “Thanks.”

Joe was oblivious to it all and waved her good bye, Caspar followed after but not after blowing her a kiss.

“We’ll talk about collabing later. Promise.”

Louise blushed and she tingled all over. “Okay.” She murmured before closing the door.

 

* * *

 

He never wanked so hard nor so much as he did that day. It was almost humiliating how aroused he became at the sheer memory of her. It was an effort to put the smile on his face when all he wanted to do was go back up to her hotel room and finish what they started. The texture of her skin was on his hands, lips and tongue and all he had to do was close his eyes so he could see her face. His hands tingled and ached to touch her again. It drove him insane how sexy she was. Did she not understand that she had a body built for pleasure? And he had a body ready to please her. He didn’t know how much more he could wait. It won’t be long now.

* * *

 

That night she wore a white floral halter top dress and a thin white bolero, which was a fairly normal outfit for an evening out, yet the moment she arrived, Caspar couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was ridiculous how much she was secretly loving having his attention and wondered if these months of foreplay should finally result in something serious.

The thought lingered in her mind. Thankfully Marie was wonderfully distracting as the night continued.

“Don’t look now, but it looks like your boyfriend is coming.” Marie teased.

Louise glanced over and sure enough Caspar was approaching. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Caspar smiled at both the lovely ladies and offered them some shots. “Got some lemon drops for you.” His eyes wandered over Louise hotly, reliving what they almost did in her room a few hours before. “Hoping I can snatch you up for a dance later.”

She felt completely exposed, recalling the events herself and her cheeks flushed pink. “Most likely.”

“Any request?” He asked with a daring smile.

“How about Summer Love?” She said teasingly. “Haven’t danced that with you for a while.”

“You got it. Don’t go too far.” He said and was gone.

“Summer Love?” Marie asked, having watched the whole conversation with glee.

“By Justin Timberlake. It was the first song we ever danced to.” Louise explained before taking the shot.

“Awwww! That’s so sweet. How can you not call him your boyfriend? He practically acts like one.”

“I know, it’s just complicated.”

“How is it complicated? Because he’s younger?”

“Sort of.” She sighed. “I’ve known him since he was a baby faced 18-year-old. Now years later he’s this man and I’m what he wants……and I’m starting to realizing that I want him too.”

“I don’t blame you. He’s awfully cute.” Marie replied before taking her shot. “Tall, blue eyed, nice shoulders, nice smile. He’s a total goof though, like you.”

“I’m not a goof!”

“You are. Absolutely batty. I think you guys complement each other nicely.”

“Well, I suppose so.” She breathed, eyeing him from a distance. “He could have any girl in this room and he wants to be with me.”

“He’s taken you out on dates, he texts and calls and apparently nearly seduced your socks off.” Marie recalled. “I’d say he’s officially your boyfriend.”

A certain song filled the air and Louise found herself smiling. A heartbeat later, Caspar made his way to her and dragged her to the dance floor. She worried that others would be watching, but at this point so many people were tipsy that it didn’t matter.

“Having a good night?!” He shouted, the music loud and the dance lights bright.

Louise smiled. “Having a great night!”

“You look so good tonight!”

“Thank you, you’re not too shabby yourself!” She teased admiring him. To think this handsome man was hers, completely hers. All she had to do was claim him. _Maybe I should_ , she thought. Maybe it was time she made the moves. “Caspar, I liked it a lot.”

“What?” He couldn’t hear her and leaned closer.

She rose up on her toes and said in his ear. “I liked your mouth on my body.”

She literally saw the air being knocked out of his lungs. He stared at her with heated eyes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I spent hours thinking about what it would’ve felt like if we hadn’t been interrupted.” Her hand skimmed up and her thumb briefly brushed his nipple through his shirt.

He felt himself straining against the fly, shocked. She was physically flirting back and he wasn’t prepared for it. “Me too.” He choked out, trying to catch a breath. He knew what would’ve happened if they had been left alone. They would’ve fucked and fucked hard. As much as he wanted to be gentle, he had been too aroused to control himself completely. He would’ve sunk deep into her body, pinned down her hips and given her all he had, then he would’ve gone down between her thighs and pleasured her more.

“Caspar? I’ve been thinking…..”

“Yep.” He said, trying to get the blood back to his brain.

“…..That this thing between us is getting quite serious……”

“Uh-huh” He agreed, wrapping his arms around her, partly to touch her and partly to keep himself upright.

“……..Perhaps it’s time I should start calling you my boyfriend.” She said cautiously.

That caught Caspar’s attention entirely. He couldn’t believe what she had just said, in fact couldn’t hear it clearly over the music, shouting and noise. Without warning he took her hand and started leading her out.

Louise followed, slightly terrified at the speed he was dragging her out. They passed the velvet ropes of the party, passed those still milling about outside, back into the hotel until they found a quiet bench in a random hallway.

Caspar sat her down, then himself before taking her hands in his to make sure she didn’t run away. “Okay, say that last thing to me again.” He demanded.

Louise, sobered a bit by that bit of adventure, cleared her throat awkwardly and said, “I should start calling you my boyfriend.”

Smitten, he was smitten now; completely and utterly in smit. “Really? You’re not joking? You’re my girlfriend?”

The complete joy on his face was worth everything and she giggled unexpectedly with glee. “God this feels so silly to say. Yes, I’m your girlfriend. Would you be my boyfriend, Caspar Lee?”

He wanted to whoop and scream and run around the hotel, instead he pulled his beautiful girlfriend into his arms and started leaving kisses on her shoulder and throat.

She was secretly glad they were so far from the festivities. He was pushing her bolero off her shoulders and another hand was sneaking under her skirt. “Caspar, Caspar, no….we’re in public….”

“Let me kiss you now, please.” He murmured against her cheek. “I want to kiss you so bad.”

His breath was so hot against her cheek and her own lips were parted, hungry for his. Their faces aligned closer and their noses touched. Her tongue flicked out and briefly her upper lip, tempting him. He cupped the back of her head.

“Louise?! You alright?” Marie called, clearly worried.

Caspar closed his eyes and swore under his breath. Louise almost wanted to weep; instead she got up to reassure her friend that everything was just fine.

She met her around the corner before she came to close to Caspar who was composing himself. “Marie?”

“Oh thank God, you’re alright. I was worried! I saw his drag you out of the party so fast.” She explained.

“No, it’s fine. More than fine actually. We decided to have a serious talk.” Louise clarified, then lean closed and whispered excitedly. “I decided to go for it and make it official. He’s my boyfriend!”

Caspar frowned in puzzlement as he watched two grown women suddenly squeal with excitement and bounced in place like two teenage girls who just saw Harry Styles.

“Caspar! Oh my God, you are so lucky to have her!” Marie declared looking at him over Louise’s shoulder. “Be nice!”

Despite his earlier frustration at being interrupted, he grinned a brilliant grin. “I will, I promise.”

“Ugh, such a beautiful man.” Marie declared and hugged her friend. “I hope this works out, I really do.”

“Me too.” Louise sighed nervously, still smiling.

“Do you want me to go? Oh! Were you two about to have a moment?” She realized. “Fuck, I have the worst timing! Do you need me to sleep elsewhere tonight? Who could I ask?”

Louise shook her head. “No, that’s not happening. You don’t have to find somewhere else to sleep.”

“Hey Caspar!”

All three looked over to see Joe and a few of his friends approaching.

“What are you doing? Looking all over for you!” Joe looked over at Caspar on the bench and Louise and Marie close by and frowned suspiciously.

Deftly, Caspar pulled out his camera. “I was talking to Louise about a collab, remember? We were looking for a quiet place to vlog.”

Louise was quietly impressed with his quick thinking. Reminding herself that Caspar only played the idiot when necessary.

“Oh well, makes sense.” He thought. “We’re going to hit a bar close by. Can you maybe vlog later?”

“I don’t know, I kind of really wanted to finish this.” He said, staring at Louise with great interest.

Louise knew he didn’t have a good reason to stay without offending his friends and scrambled for an idea. “We can finish this tomorrow. Actually I just got an idea of what we could do, but it would require some props. How about we meet in my room for about an hour or so? Can you spare him for that long, Joe?”

Joe shrugged. “Yeah sure. It’s our job. C’mon mate. Let’s go party.”

Torn between a night of drinks with his friends or trying to solve what suddenly gave Louise the naughty twinkle in her eyes, Caspar reluctantly got to his feet and began to follow his friends. Impulsively though, he made a sharp right, jogged over to the girls and kissed Louise in the cheek and just to cover his tracks, kissed Marie’s cheek as well before racing back to the boys.

“What was that about?” Joe asked and both girls looked over him, stunned.

“Something to remember me by.” He said, cheeky.

Joe shook his head. “Idiot.”

Marie and Louise watched the men go before heading elsewhere. “So I guess nothing is happening tonight?”

“They’ll be up till late, no doubt.” Louise agreed. “But so will we. Come on, let’s go back to the party.”

“Are you two seriously going to collab tomorrow?” Marie asked slyly.

“No. I got something else in mind.” Louise replied with a growing smile. “It’s about time Caspar learned what I consider foreplay.”

* * *

 

Caspar had spent that night in bed dreaming about what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been interrupted, what would’ve happened if one of them could’ve had a single room, what would happen the next day when they “collabed”. By the time he got up to greet the day, he didn’t even have a hangover to complain about. When the text finally arrived from Louise about making sure to shower and to dress comfortably, his heart was racing.

When he reached her room, he knocked and was greet by her voice telling him to come in and lock the door.

She was wearing a satin, floral robe and her hair was in a messy bun. The curtains were semi drawn, making the room shady. The bed had the sheets pulled back with towels laid over it and Caspar cleared his throat nervously.

“Caspar? Ready for our collab?”

“Meep.”

Louise chuckled and nodded towards the bed. “Take everything off except your underwear and lay down on your stomach.”

“What are you going to do?” He asked as he started to shrug off his shirt and toe off his trainers.

“Something we’ve talked about a long time ago.” She said sweetly, taking his clothes and putting them away.

Curiosity at its highest, Caspar obediently laid down on the bed.

For a moment nothing happened. He felt cold and little vulnerable.

A weight came onto the bed and a whisper of silk brushed against the outside of his thighs. Louise settled herself nicely in the space where thigh and bum met.

He was savoring the sensation of her heat against such a vulnerable place when her hands, soft and slightly slick settled on his lower back and started to rub.

Pleasure exploded as her hands started to move up and down the length of his back. He moaned.

The last time she massaged him was at Vidcon and she had been embarrassed by his moans, but this time she was determined to draw them out of him. She was going to bring him to tears.

She went slowly, massaging away every knot she could find and all he could do was close his eyes and take it.

“I remember now. I said we should collab by massaging each other.” He groaned as she ran her fingers down the length of his spine. “We never got around to it.”

Louise smiled as she grasped his shoulders and pressed her heel on the knots, causing his muscles to keen.  He had lovely muscles; just enough to get a girl interested, but not offensively bloated. “You were too busy being a silly boy.”

“I was so silly.” He agreed. “I could’ve had this sooner. Ah!”

Every time she rubbed up and down her hips moved sensuously against his bum. He was hard and aching and couldn’t do anything about it except let her rock against him, which caused more pleasant sensations.

His bum perked up against her and she didn’t think he realized he did it. “Well, now you’re my boyfriend. I can do this whenever you want.”

The very mention of their new relationship made him smile with glee. She pressed the heel of her hand and a satisfying pop sound caused him to whine. It felt so good to have her hands on his body. So, so, so good. He felt himself getting lulled into a pleasant sleep when something fluttered down beside him. Opening his eyes he studied the silk fabric and then he realized that it was Louise’s robe.

“Don’t turn around.” She whispered.

She was naked. She was naked and on top of him and he couldn’t turn around to see.

“Louise….”

“Shh…..relax.” She said leaning down on him. She went down the length of his body until her perfect mouth kissed the base of his spine. Caspar’ eyes fluttered shut and he moaned her name. Gentle, butterfly kisses went up his spine and his nerves went off like small firecrackers.  Her tongue found the dip of his back and licked the sensitive skin.

Caspar groaned into the pillow.

She went further up and up until they were skin to skin and her breasts pressed against his back.

His body was alive with nerves and this sensation almost killed him. Those soft perfect spheres were on him and his skin felt on fire. Her hips now deliberately rocked against his slowly and his erection was rubbing against the mattress, threatening to burst through his briefs.

Then her lips resumed their torture, licking and nipping the nape of his neck with her sharp little teeth. Her arms curled down and deliberately caressed the muscles on his sides.

“Louise…..I can’t…” He choked, breathing hard into the pillow. His hips were pressing down hard on the mattress, rocking involuntarily.

Her fingers slipped under him, slowly circled his nipple, then she carefully caught it and gave a firm tweak. Caspar cried out and came.

Louise sat up, smug with satisfaction as Caspar shuddered underneath her. It had been a while since she brought a man off this way and she was quite pleased that her skill hadn’t waned. She slid off him, grabbed her robe and went to the bathroom.

Caspar had no brain to process what had happened, all he knew was that he wanted it again. Suddenly a warm, damp towel was thrown on him and he sighed as Louise wiped the excess lotion off his back.

“Happy?” She asked.

“Mmmmm.” Was all he could say, then slowly turned over on his back so he could see her better.

She was nicely robed again, but now her hair was loose and she had a beautiful smile on her face.

“Take off your robe.”

She arched a brow at him. “Now you’re just being greedy. Clean yourself up.” Throwing the warm, damp towel at him.

He did just that and rolled up to a sitting position. “I’m not greedy. I’m your boyfriend and I would like to see the rest of my girlfriend.” He explained. She got close enough for him to snatch her hand and drag her to him. He pulled between his parted legs and wrapped his arms around her waist. His chin rested perfectly on her breasts and he couldn’t help but drop one, then two and then three kisses on them.

She made a sound that sounded almost like a purr before running her hands up through his hair and gently pulling him away so she could stare down at him.

“Maybe in the near future.” She said, kissing his forehead, then his nose.

“How near in the future?” He asked, wishing he could kiss her properly.

“I’ll have a weekend off in about a week.” She said after a while. “You can come up to Northampton and we can finally do the things that boyfriends and girlfriends do when they have a whole house to themselves.”

He was in a relationship, a real relationship with Louise. Life was getting better.

“Okay. Northampton it is.”

They didn’t kiss that day nor the rest of the days they were there. However, they did collab since it would’ve been weird if they had spent all that time together with no video to speak of.

* * *

 

“Excited?” She murmured over the phone while safely tucked into her bedroom days later.

Caspar was in his room as well far away from her. Nevertheless, he had the phone tucked by his ear as he lay on his side. “I’m dying to see you.”

Louise chuckled softly. “I actually bought something for the occasion.”

That raised his pulse. “Is it nice? Sexy?”

“Satin pale pink.” She confessed. “Simple and uncomplicated.”

“No one’s ever worn something special for me.”

She was surprised. “Really? Lingerie or anything like that?”

“No. I’ve seen nice bras and panties, but nothing that was worn specifically for me.” He said honestly. “Am I the only one who’ll get to see it?”

“Yes.”

“Is it lacy?”

“Just a little bit on the edges.” She said as she snuggled down further into her bed. “It’s a pale pink. Thin straps and comes mid-thigh.”

Caspar closed his eyes as he thought of her body draped in satin pink. “I can see you in it. My hand slipping underneath it to touch your thighs.”

She felt her pulse flutter and let out a breath that echoed through the phone. “And when you touch my thighs, Caspar?”

“I’d follow with my mouth. I’d take a bite out of you, enough to leave a mark. Would you like that?”

Her legs twitched with anticipation of having his head between them; imagining the soft spikes of his hair brushing sensitive skin. “Possessive, aren’t you?”

“Having to wait this long to have you? Hell yes, I’m possessive. I’m gonna eat you alive. I bet you taste sweet.”

She’s had men sweet talk her, but no one has gone full out like this; arousing her and making her squirm. “Keep going.” She begged gently.

Caspar smiled, hearing the gentle sounds of her shifting, wondering if she’s touching herself. “You’re so silky already……I wonder, will there be anything under that pale satin pink?”

“N-No…..I’m ready….waiting.” She said gently.

“Good. I want to you to think about it now. My tongue on your cunt.” He hummed with pleasure. “You already wet for me?”

He heard a choked gasp and a soft moan. “Yes.”

“I’m gonna grab your hips and take my time there, alright? I’m not going to miss a spot.”

“Oh God, Caspar.”

“Wriggle a little, yeah…..fuck you’re sexy. You taste so good.”

A whimper.

“I’m gonna eat you up. Nothing gentle about it. I’m gonna make you scream.”

“Give it to me, please.”

 “Not yet. Going to make sure you’re warmed up and ready for me. I want you to come in my mouth. Gonna lick every inch of that tasty-”

She gave a panting cry and Caspar shuddered as the sound caressed every nerve in his body.

“I’m going to rip that little pink slip when I slide into you.” He growled, his arousal throbbing. “You’re going to say my name every time I thrust in. You’re going to arch up and beg for more.”

“Kiss me, Caspar. Kiss me.”

“Everywhere, I promise. Your perfect mouth. Those breasts. God, I’m going to suck those breasts.”

His words set her aflame and her body writhed with ecstasy. “Come here, Caspar, please!”

“Soon. Shit Louise, I’m dying for you.” He groaned.

“I want you inside me, Caspar. I want to feel you above me, moving.” She said hotly. “I want your hands all over me. I want to ride you, I want to hear you as you come.” Her voice dropped as she added. “I want to taste you on my lips.”

She got her wish as a wounded guttural groan came through her phone and he heard him pant for breath.

He stared at nothing as he shuddered out the last wrings of pleasure from himself. He heard her call his name and then she giggled.

“My first phone sex.” She admitted.

“Mm….you were good.”

“Wait till I have you alone.”

Caspar grinned. “Even better.”

“Just a few more days, Caspy.”

“Can’t wait.”

They hung up, both eagerly anticipating their union.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some massive re-editing and rewriting for this section. Added more Emily and Theodora. Have you ever watched videos with Caspar's family? They're brilliant women. 
> 
> Also I wonder if I overdid it with the foreplay. Let me know.


	9. A Little Game of Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caspar goes to Northampton and Louise finally gets to sample her sexy new man.

Caspar had never been to Northampton before and to be honest he did not expect to see a lot of it this weekend. He had a weekend’s worth of clothes and necessities in his backpack. The excitement he felt made his body tingle and he was so aroused he could hardly wait.

As he got off and queued for a taxi, he texted Louise that he was on his way. Surprisingly, he did not immediately receive a message back. It made him frown and as he reached her house he had become worried.

His worries were confirmed when he knocked on the door and a teary-eyed Louise answered the door.

“Oh God, this is horrible!” She cried at the sight of him and burst into tears again.

Caspar threw his backpack on the ground and gathered her up. “What happened?? Someone in your family? Your Dad??”

She shook her head and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. “No…..Darcy’s sick.”

“Oh God, is she in the hospital??”

“No! Matt and Darcy are both sick, so he couldn’t watch her this weekend. Now you’re here expecting a romantic weekend and I have Darcy in her bed throwing up and crying all over the place. I’m crying and I look like shit and there’s no way you want to have sex with me.”

She sobbed against him and Caspar felt really disappointed with the turn of events. However, no matter how horny he was, he was not a prick. “Oh Louise, I always want to have sex with you even if you’re crying……Though I hope you don’t cry when we have sex, because that would be awkward and I’d worry that I’m doing a bad job.”

She sniffled and looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yeah, look.” He drew away from her to open his backpack and pulled out a box of condoms. “See?”

Looking at the box, she suddenly started to laugh. “A box of 40 condoms!! Oh my God, how much sex did you think we were going to have??”

She continued laughing, clutching her chest. Caspar felt a little sheepish, but was glad that she was smiling. “I’d rather be prepared than not. Besides this was the only ones they had!”

“Oh Caspar, Caspar. Oh I’m so sorry. You came all this way for nothing.” She said smiling bittersweet.

Caspar’s face dropped, worried that she was about to send him back home, when a tiny voice echoed through the house.

“Mummy? I’m thirsty.”

“Coming!” Louise called out and went to the kitchen. Caspar followed. “You don’t have to stay. You’re just bound to get sick if you stay here-”

“I just got here! No way I’m going home. You might need help.” He said.

“Do you know anything about taking care of a sick child?”

“Can’t be any more different then taking care of a drunk mate the next day. At least she’s smaller.”

Louise opened her mouth to say something, but then after thinking about it realized that the analogy was pretty close. “Okay fine, but you know we’re not having sex, right? Not with my daughter coughing and puking all over the place.”

“Fine, but the minute she goes down I’m cuddling the shit out of you.” He declared.

“Ugh, she has diarrhea too.” She remembered.

“Yup, definitely like a drunk.”

First were the official introductions though and Louise quietly introduced Caspar to the ten-year-old Darcy who looked tiny and miserable out in the living room where she made herself a nest of blankets, pillows, towels and wadded tissues.

“Hi, Darcy. My name is Caspar Lee. I’m a friend of your mum.”

She sniffled and replied, “Thank you for the letter. You had a big head when you were a baby.”

“Yes I did and my mum likes to complain about it often.”

Louise doesn’t know why she’s so surprised, but Caspar turned out to have a great rapport with Darcy. Upon remembering that his parents were divorced and he had a slew of relatives and step relatives the little girl loaded him with questions about his life that his book didn’t explain. This allowed her to get stuff done in the house and cook some simple broth for Darcy, then in a last-minute decision, ordered pizza for herself and Caspar.

Caspar suddenly rushed down the hall. Without saying anything he looked under the sink, grabbed a cleaning bucket, opened the refrigerator grabbed two bottles of water, and ran back.

Louise called out after him. “What do you need that for!?”

“Vomiting!!” He called back.

“Oh dear.” She raced after him to help only to find that he had the situation well in hand.

Darcy was holding the bucket to her chest, Caspar was holding her hair back as she dry heaved. “Don’t cry Darcy, it’s normal to vomit. Some of my friends do it often on the weekends.”

“Why would they do it often on the weekends?” She asked, finally lifting her head up.

Caspar gave her some tissue to clean her mouth and opened a water bottle for her to drink. “Because the weekdays are for working.”

Louise rolled her eyes at him, pleased he avoided telling the truth. Eventually she was calm enough to drink some water and soup. She kept it down and finally fell into an exhausted sleep. When she finally got back to the kitchen she found that Caspar had cleaned the bucket, washed himself and was eating the newly arrived pizza.

“You didn’t wait for me.”

“I was really hungry.”

“I really don’t know how you could eat after seeing all that mess.” She shuddered.

Caspar shrugged. “Josh is worse.”

“You might have to tell me one day.” She said, grabbing a slice. “After pizza though.”

Usually she could eat quite a few slices, but she’d been completely scattered all day, so after two she decided to take a power nap in her bedroom. Without even thinking about it, she grabbed Caspar by the wrist and took him with her.

He had been just finishing his fifth slice when Louise dragged him to her room. Startled and excited, he followed her lead. While he realized she was tired to the bone and sex was not on the menu, he was definitely going to take advantage of some cuddling.

Her bed was exactly what he’d imagined it would be; a large, fluffy cloud surrounded in feminine style. She pushed him unceremoniously onto it and he tugged off his shirt, which made her pause.

“Caspar, we’re not having sex. I’m too tired.”

“I can’t sleep with clothes on. I won’t take off my pants, but I could at least lose the shirt.” He explained, then patted the space beside him with a smile.

At this point, she didn’t care; too tired to argue and tossed herself in with him. He threw his arm around her and he was like a furnace so she didn’t need a blanket at all.

They power napped for an hour and Louise woke up first. Caspar still had his arm around her, casually thrown around her waist. Her stomach spasm at the heat of a nearby touch, but she willed herself to calm down because what was more distracting was the fact that Caspar had spooned her and there was a firm lump against her bottom. It had been a while since she’s had a man in her bed and she had to admit it was more flattering than scandalizing. She felt Caspar’s breath deepen against her hair and smiled.

 “Is that what I think it is?” She murmured.

“It’s morning wood.” He slurred out.

“It’s three in the afternoon”

“Afternoon wood.”

She chuckled and slowly turned around. Caspar reluctantly let her. “So that’s not because of me?”

“Of course it’s because of you.” He was talking to her with his eyes closed, still trying to nap. “You have a nice bum.”

“And you have a nice…..” She took him in, from his golden hair, strong body and long legs. “……Everything.”

Caspar finally opened his eyes and smiled. “So you _do_ think I’m cute.”

“You’ve always been cute, Caspar. You just lacked…..experience.” She explained, then stroked his hair. “I’m usually not into blondes either, but it’s kind of hard to say no to your pretty blue eyes.”

“How about my brains? You like those?”

She giggled. “I’m just realizing how much brains you have. I’ve underestimated you and I am glad you are here. Most guys would’ve turned and fled.”

“It’s not the worst thing to happen.” He admitted to her and truly it wasn’t. Yes, he was disappointed that the promised sex didn’t come to fruition, but this intimacy, the both of them in her bed, talking with her soft hand stroking his face in the most loving way was nice too. He began to understand why his mother and sister stressed the importance of a connection that went beyond sex. “There will be another weekend, I hope.”

Louise realized that he had a habit of leaving decisions up to her, of always giving her an out if she wanted to, which was very thoughtful of him. Thoughtfully she touched his mouth and realized something else that was becoming quite a critical need for her.

“Kiss me, Caspar. You’ve been teasing me with that gorgeous mouth of yours for months now.”

He’d been waiting so long for this demand. With a secret prayer that dear sweet Darcy sleep for at least another five minutes, he leaned over his beautiful girlfriend and finally kissed her.

He plied her soft lips expertly with his own, pulling a whimper out of her. She did not hesitate to part her lips and he took full advantage; exploring the velvetiness of her mouth with his tongue. He was bold, coaxing her to join him and her kittenish licks only made him bolder.

Her head swam with passion and the old fears of giving into someone so young, burned away under his kiss. Instead she wanted to yield to everything he had to offer. Had been offering all these months.

They whiled away the minutes this way; making out and writhing against each other. Arms and hands caressing as they kissed slowly, but hungrily on her bed.

His body was a gift and her fingers delighted in every hard line she skimmed. She could feel the harden length of him rubbing against her thigh and her mind whirled with the insane possibility of throwing caution to the wind and having him there, now.

Caspar was sinking into his own wild thoughts the longer he kissed and touched her. How long had he wanted to touch her? She was a dream fulfilled. She was satin soft and her curves were endless. He clasped her bottom possessively and pulled her roughly against him. She moaned and undulated against him. The possibilities were more than he could bear.

Should he? Dare he?

A soft knock on the door.

Probably not.

He drew away, rolled around so he could put on his shirt. Louise almost wanted to cry in defeat, but held it together as she got off the bed and opened the door to admit her daughter. Darcy, unaware of the interruption she made, looked up at her mother.

“My head hurts and I’m hungry.”

“You probably slept too much.” She mused, stroking her fine, blonde hair. “Go to the kitchen and I’ll make you some toast.”

Obediently she stumbled off and Louise turned back to Caspar who had shrugged his shirt back on and was rubbing his head.

“Are you alright?” She asked.

“Can you get a headache from having a hard-on for so long?” He asked looking pained.

Louise giggled. “I can sympathize. I’ll make some toast for you too.”

* * *

 

 The weekend wasn’t what they wanted it to be, but it turned out to be pleasant nonetheless. Once Darcy felt better she began to warm up to Caspar and he proved to be a most enjoyable playmate for a ten-year-old girl. It should not have surprised Louise at all, she had seen the videos of him with his cousins, not to mention his collection of dolls. Probably the highlight for Darcy is discovering that Caspar knew a thing or two about editing, which caused her to instantly get her laptop and demand that he teach her something new.

Meanwhile, whenever Caspar didn’t have the attention of Darcy, he devoted the rest of it to her mother. If Darcy left the room for any reason, he would snatch a kiss from Louise. It became a game, one that Louise was nervous to play in the beginning, but got into it the longer it continued. He kissed like he eats, with gusto. She liked to tease him when possible; bring her lips close before pulling away, causing him to whine pathetically.

When Darcy went down for the night however, Louise was in trouble. They were watching TV or at least they had attempted to. Like teenagers they were sprawled on the sofa making out. His shirt was gone and her blouse was being unbuttoned in a most interesting way.

“Caspar you’re taking forever to unbutton my blouse with your teeth. You might as well as just stop because if you touch my stomach I might punch you on reflex.”

“Fine, but I can lay here like this, right?” He asked draped over her, their legs tangled together.

She eyed him calculatingly. “Are you planning anything?”

Caspar blinked rapidly. “Nope, just want to be here and make out with my girlfriend. I like saying that; girlfriend. Louise, my girlfriend. That beautiful woman over there? That’s Gigi Hadid, but enough about her; meet my gorgeous girlfriend, Louise.”

She giggled and stroked his face. “Charmer.”

“That’s me, and you’re my girlfriend.”

“Yes, I am your girlfriend and you’re my boyfriend.” She said.

“Say it again.” He asked leaning down closer to her.

She murmured the word as his mouth crushed hers. “Boyfriend…….boyfriend…..” She moaned it again between kisses.      

* * *

 

Caspar was upset when Sunday evening approached. He’d had a brilliant morning in the fine company of the Pentland girls with a slightly burnt but still decent home cooked breakfast; something he never had unless he’s with his family. Darcy seemed to be on the mend and was sidled up next to him as he talked her through an editing process while Louise quietly did her own video editing nearby. Later they went to get some supplies for the house and there were no whispers or pointing as they walked around hand in hand while Darcy was running around being helpful and demanding this and that. He felt this warmth and feeling of comfort, which he didn’t get unless he was with his family or his best mates. This was the first time he’d been with someone long enough to feel this way and it was amazing.

For Louise, it was a simple relief that friends and neighbors who they bumped into didn’t seem to see anything wrong with this May/December relationship she had made a commitment to. They were more pleased to see her in a relationship with a handsome man who Darcy approved of. Of course, she knew the gossip mill and could already imagine the questions that would come her way soon enough. She was glad she didn’t let her worries prevent her from being with Caspar. He had begged for a chance and she gave it to him. He might not be her type and he might be so young, but he came to her and wanted to be hers and so he was. Who could turn down such an offer? He was so handsome, funny and unashamedly flawed. Clumsy despite the graceful form, his smile could win anyone over and he’s charmed the neighbors so effortlessly. 

   The pleasantness of their time was of course ruined by him having to leave. His ride was waiting for him to take him to the train station. Darcy gave him a hug for the first time and waved him off; hoping he’d return soon and promising not to watch his videos until her mummy said it was alright.

Louise’s eyes looked shiny and it surprised them both how unhappy they were at parting.

“This is ridiculous as if I won’t ever see you again.” She said with a faint smile.

“I’ll call you when I get back. We’ll see each other soon. Meetings and all that. We’ll go for lunch.” He offered. “Or you can stay at my place instead of a hotel.”

“Truly?” She asked, pleased.

“Yeah! Just….um….it’s a bit messy.” He scratched his head. “Refrigerator is kind of empty….”

“Well, we’ll just have to work on that.” She mused. “Now be a good boyfriend and give me a kiss. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” He said before complying to her wish.

* * *

 

Caspar arrived home and felt quite lonely. He had always preferred to be amongst others, but being with Louise and getting to know Darcy was something special.

“Mum?” He called once the thoughts in his head were bigger than he could hold.

“Yes dear? How was your weekend with Louise?” Emily replied.

Caspar sighed. “It was different than what we had planned. Her daughter Darcy was sick so we spent the days taking care of her.”

“Well I’m sorry to hear that. You seemed to be very excited to go. How is the little girl?”

“Darcy’s fine now and yeah, it wasn’t why I went up, but it turned out real nice. I mean real nice.” He sighed. “Louise has a way of making you feel like you’re at home, you know? Welcomed.”

“That shows the quality of a good home, Caspar and a good woman.” She added. “I like the sound of her more and more.”

“Me too. Usually by this time I would know a girl intimately, but this is the first time, God, since Gabby that I like……everything.” He muddled through, scratching his head. “I mean, she is a little sensitive and high maintenance, but it’s not anything that I didn’t know already…..”

“Well no one is perfect, Caspar.” She interrupted. “Not even yourself. If she can accept your flaws then you can for her. I think you’ve done very well so far. You were so nervous that you couldn’t hold her attention and now it looks like you two have a nice relationship.”

He blurted out unexpectedly. “We finally kissed.”

“Excellent! I assumed it went well.”

His mind replayed the memory and he heaved a sigh. “It was great.”

It was more than great, but he had no way of explaining it to his mother. It was a wish fulfilled; a long-held desire finally bearing fruit. He thought he had anticipated her kiss only a few months ago, until their lips met and he realized that a gut deep yearning was finally satisfied. All those Instagram photos of their lips almost touching. Who was he kidding? The desire was there for years.

“Do you have protection?” Her voice broke his inner thoughts.

“Mum! Of course I do!”

“I’m just asking. The last thing I want for you to go through is…..” She hesitated. “…..Well, I hate seeing any of you distressed.”

He grew quiet for so long that she started to apologize, but he quickly cut it off.

“Don’t worry, I make sure to always be prepared. Especially with Louise. I’ve known her too long and care about her too much to do something stupid.”

There was a soft scuffle on the phone and suddenly Theodora piped up. “Hey Caspar, word of advice when with a woman in her 30’s. Stretch and hydrate and maybe bring snacks.”

Caspar frowned at the unexpected advice. “Why?”

“Ladies are in their sexual prime in their 30’s. Amazing in bed.”

He gulped. “I heard about that, but I thought that was just rumors.”

“Nope, one of my friends is dating a 34-year-old and he says it’s the best sex he’s had.”

“I have to go now. Good night.”

* * *

 

Caspar would like to say that they rearranged another amorous rendezvous quickly, but it didn’t pan out that way.  Work and parenting got in the way, which was frustrating, but that was the reality of dating Louise and he just had to learn patience.

When they finally managed to snatch a moment together, he found her giggling and turning red. She was staring at something in her phone and when she saw him coming, she failed to smother her laughter.

Caspar grinned. “What’s so funny?”

She pressed her phone to her chest and managed to catch her breath. “Fetus Caspar.”

“What? What are you looking at?”

He moved around so he could look at her phone and groaned. “My “How to Kiss” video?”  

Louise giggled, her eyes sparkling. “You were the cutest little boy.”

“Oh God! Why haven’t I taken that down??”

She went into a fit of giggles once more as she played the video again and watched as a teenage Caspar taught his subscribers the finer points of kissing by puckering up directly in front of the camera.

“Why am I finally looking at this? This is so funny! Oh, you’re so precious!” She squealed.

“I was not trying to be precious, I was trying to be sexy.” He said, his hand muffling his face.

She looked at her thoroughly embarrassed boyfriend and grinned. She stood in front of him, then rose up on her toes and kissed where his hands met, where his mouth would be. “Oh I’m sure there were tons of little girls just swooning for you, Caspar. Especially with the lip bite.”

He dropped his hands and used them to pull her close. “What, you didn’t find it sexy?”

She arched a brow at him. “You were a child. Of course not. Although you did have a point about boys stuffing their tongues down girls’ throats. My first kiss was a mess.”

“Too much tongue, eh?” He asked, brushing a strand of her blonde hair back.

“It felt more like a battle. Put me off for a while.” She admitted.

“If we had been the same age and you saw my video would you have liked me?”

She mused on it for a moment. “Mm, probably, but I know I wouldn’t have a snowballs chance in hell that you’d fancy me back.”  

“Probably not. I was shallow.” He admitted, but also added. “But then I didn’t deserve you. I used to hang out with Sam Pepper back in the day.”

She smiled very faintly at the memory. “Those were your wild days. Some just don’t grow out of it. Luckily you did.”

“I had good friends and now I have you. I’m lucky.” He replied caressing her cheek. “I kiss better now too.”

“Oh, do you?” She teased knowing good and well that he was an excellent kisser.

“Mm hm.” He said, then bent down to demonstrate.

They were light, gentle kisses that teased the mouth. She stroked the long line of his neck and nudged him for a deeper kiss. His kiss was much, much better than her first. His was warm and sensual, his tongue dipping and coaxing hers to play, then he nipped her ever so slightly and she giggled.

“I see you still take your own advice.” She smiled against his lips. “Your tongue work is excellent, I must say.”

Caspar smiled back and gently nipped her plush lower lip. “My tongue can do a lot of things. A lot.” He quirked his brows.

Louise felt her loins tighten and she blushed. “Oh, really.”

He leaned down close to her ear and whispered, “I’m a sloppy eater, but I don’t miss a spot.”

Her face was about to go nuclear. What wouldn’t she give right now to have him prove it?

That thought lingered in Louise’s head as she went back to Northampton. Mummy duties and a doctor’s visit needed to be done, which promised to keep her busy for a couple of days. She almost envied Caspar who would had been working just as hard as she had and would get to crash quietly in his flat for a few days.

“Mummy, Daddy wants to talk to you!” Darcy announced before thrusting the phone in her direction.

“Oh, about what?” She wondered aloud before picking up the phone. “Hello, Matt?”

“Hi, I would like to borrow Darcy for the weekend. I know it’s not my time, but I just got a hold of some free theme park tickets, but they’re only good for this weekend. Plus I know you had to change your plans when we got sick. Darcy mentioned you got a boyfriend. Caspar?”

 _Oh God, how much has Darcy said?_ Louise thought. “Yes, Caspar Lee.”

“The tall, blonde chap on Youtube?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“Darcy said she wrote a book report on him. Uh…..a bit young.”

“A bit yeah.” She sighed. “Don’t worry, he’s behaving himself perfectly with Darcy.”

“Good. Of course he would, you wouldn’t let him near if he wasn’t.” Matt assured her. “I was just thinking that he’s not normally your type.”

Louise wondered how honest she should be. “No, he’s not and he had to do some convincing but….He’s turning out to be someone great. We have a lot more in common than I thought.”

“Youtube?”

“That’s the main one, but there are others. He’s very sweet and we are moving slowly.”

“He’s the one that always hugged you?”

“Still hugs me.” She admits, smiling to herself. “But these feelings between us are new. Quite recent actually.”

“Hm, not too sure about that.” He mused as memories of Caspar Lee became clearer. He heard her make a noise of protest. “Young men, any man, doesn’t demand hugs and cuddles without having a thread of attraction for the woman and don’t underestimate yourself, Louise, you’ve always been beautiful.”

A compliment from an ex was always flattering. “Thank you Matt. I’ll give it some thought.”

“Do. So, can I have Darcy this weekend?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m sure she’d love to spend a fun weekend with you.”

Darcy was enthused at the news and within a few hours, Louise waved her daughter off as she went on an adventure with her dad.

The next day she had her doctor’s visit and afterwards found herself with time on her hands. All her mummy plans were dashed. Perhaps she could do the same as Caspar and use the time to crash.

Or maybe she should be crashing with him??

Dare she??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Notes: Should she?? Huh?? Whatcha think??
> 
> I hope the cock block didn't frustrate anyone. Soon though, soon it will happen. Hope you guys have faith that I can write this.


	10. She Wants, He Needs, They Make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louise gives into impulse with fantastic results.

Louise felt her heart lodged firmly in his throat as Caspar closed the door to his flat. He was clearly excited to have her stay the weekend and despite her nervousness she was excited too. This was her first step in their relationship and she had to be courageous. He had made the effort staying with her in Northampton in what was supposed to be their first romantic weekend despite that all their plans had been spoiled when Darcy ended up being violently sick. He never complained and turned out to be the best entertainment she and her daughter could’ve asked for. Not once did he complain nor did he demand she return the favor. If that wasn’t boyfriend material she didn’t know what was. So when he casually mentioned staying home for the weekend, she made the impulsive decision to take the train down to London and surprise him.

Caspar had not seen this coming, though he had fantasized about it. The impulsive part of him wanted to immediately get her situated in his room, but he knew better.

“Um, do you want to see the guest room or…..maybe mine?” He asked, trying not to sound pushy.

Louise felt a tug of pity for him. He was trying so hard to be gentle around her. “Yours silly. Obviously.”

“Great! Oh wait, give me five minutes!” He suddenly stopped her in her tracks and rushed up to his room, realizing that he left some inappropriate things out in the open, like all his clothes and shoes on the floor.

Louise was startled by his quickness and was unbearably curious as sudden sounds of things being tossed around could be heard. She always suspected he was messy and if she was going to make this brand new relationship work she should probably face it.

She made her way up to his room where he was still fussing and quietly opened the door just in time to see Caspar tossing a bundle of clothes into his wardrobe. He grinned sheepishly as he closed it.

“How much did you see?”

“Enough to let me know we might have to play a serious game of domestic.” Louise said with a sassy arch of her brow.

“Maybe, I guess. Um, I just realized I only have beer in the fridge and a couple of open bags of crisps. How about I order some pizza?”

“Pizza would be lovely, but not for breakfast. I think we should go get some proper food as well.”

“Okay, but first-” Caspar leaned down and Louise met him half way as they kissed gently, then deeply. His long fingers sank into her hair and her arms wrapped around his waist. The energy crackled between them. A reminder of the purpose of the weekend.

“Mmm…I wish I had kissed you sooner. You’re quite good at it.” Louise sighed contently.

“Needed to make sure it’s what you wanted.” He murmured against her searching lips.

Louise tried to draw back, but Caspar followed her close, refusing to end their kiss. She indulged him a moment more. “Mm, let’s clean up this place and get some food, Caspar.”

“Noooo.” He whined, dropping his head so he could nuzzle her neck.

She giggled at the sensation of his warm breath. “I cannot have sex with you knowing there’s a dirty pile of laundry a wardrobe away.” She kissed his cheek and drew back firmly. “Please Caspy?”

* * *

 

A few hours later and Caspar decided that playing domestic with Louise was not such a bad thing.

The washing machine was whirling away in the background as they attempted to watch a movie. It wasn’t going so well as they were currently having something that could only be described as a kinky ice cream tasting battle.

“Lemme taste it again.” Caspar asked as Louise scooped another spoonful of her pint.

“You’ve eaten more of mine than of yours.” She protested.

“Oh wait, I got an idea.” He dipped a spoonful of his own ice cream and presented it to her. “Taste.”

Louise obediently parted her mouth; got a mouthful of sweet which quickly followed with Caspar’s searching kiss. Ice cream mingled on their tongues as they lingered.

“You got ice cream on your shirt.” Louise murmured, eyeing the cold smear. He drew back, glanced down at the mess and with usual impulsiveness, set his pint aside long enough to tug the shirt off, leaving his perfectly made body bare.

“Better?” He asked with a cocky waggle of his brows.

Desire swept through her at the sight of him. “Almost.” She replied before smearing what remained on her spoon down the center of his chest. “Better.” Leaning forward she licked her ice cream from his warm skin.

Caspar shuddered as her tongue made broad sweeps, leaving a trail of pleasure in its wake. She smeared more over a nipple and it left him gasping as her teeth and tongue nibbled and licked the sensitive bud.

Two could play this game.

He nudged her back from him and she pouted, only to gasp when Caspar started daubing her chin, down her throat, down to her breasts with ice cream.  He cupped a breast briefly with his dirty fingers and grinned lasciviously.  

“Oops.” He said in an obviously sarcastic tone. “Better take this off.”

The butterflies fluttered hard against her stomach. A flicker of fear that he might not like the shape of her form seized her, but it burned away under the heat of his eyes. With a nervous grip, she took off her pretty top and left herself bare from the waist up.

Caspar let out a happy noise before cleaning up the mess he made and dragging his tongue over her sticky skin. His breath was hot and moist as he licked every streak of ice cream from her pale body. By the time he reached her chin, she couldn’t wait any longer. Seizing him by his hair, she kissed him hard and he responded in kind. Half-naked they groped each other in the dark; the movie their only light.

He felt like a furnace against her as skin met skin, but oh how she loved the heat of him, the smell of him. He wanted her badly, she could feel the length of him under the palm of her hand and it only made her body ache for completion.

“Caspar. Bed.” She murmured against his neck before she bit him.

He didn’t hesitate. Dragging himself up, he quickly took her hand and led her to his room. Movie, laundry and ice cream forgotten.

They managed to get to his room without banging into anything which was a feat. Not that it mattered nor did they care.  They fell upon the bed and into each other’s arms. Caspar’s hands skimmed up her thighs, grasped her shorts and panties and greedily dragged them down. Louise didn’t even think; too eager to get him just as undressed. In a heartbeat, his briefs went sailing across the room.

Louise dragged him close to her and she sighed as her hands caressed down the length of his body. He was smooth, strong and perfect and she needed him now. His narrow waist settled naturally between her legs and he was breathing hard above her. They struggled for a moment with the condom, but only a moment.

Caspar’s heart raced like mad. He’d dreamt of this moment, planned it out in his head, but all ideas died under the smoothness of her skin, the mounds of her breasts, the silk of her thighs and the promise of pleasure that lay between them. He was holding back by the merest margin of control.

“No more foreplay. I’ve had months of it.” She pulled him close to her, her green eyes shimmered and her body called to him.

The message was clear and he didn’t hesitate. He filled her and they both cried out.

* * *

 

“Holy shit….holy shit……ugh….” Caspar groaned as he came down from their sexual high. They were hot, almost unbearable so, and sticky with sweat and lust. His hands were protesting the knuckle white grip he had on the sheets and he gradually relaxed them.

What happened a couple of minutes ago could only be described as _long overdue_ and _totally worth it_. Her body welcomed his and met him thrust for thrust. He had her pinned down with his hips, draped himself upon her and did not give up an inch. He ground himself into her, filling and rolling against her hips until her thighs ached with the force of his relentless drive. She had thrown her head back and submitted to him and hid none of her pleasure, which allowed him to be free as well. Their mouths tasted every bit of each other until all they could do was pant. It was wild, passionate and loud.

Louise’s heart raced like it would never stop and she desperately wanted a clean breath, but it had been so long since a warm body rested against hers and the pleasure felt so good. His muscles had strained and grown slick under her hands so much so she marveled that they hadn’t ripped out of his skin. Now she soothed him and her fingers stroked him gently as if he were a cat. “Mm, you’re heavy.”

“Sorry, let me just-” Caspar pulled away and rolled around to dispense with the condom and give her some space.

“I wasn’t com- Oh my God, I am so sorry!” Louise cried out as she looked at Caspar’s back.

Caspar looked over his shoulder at her and suddenly winced. “What? Ow! The fuck??”

“I scratched your back!”

He lumbered up to his feet and went to the bathroom. It took him a minute to see them, but there were definite scratches down his back and half-moon nail marks on his bum. Clearly in the heat of the moment, lost in pleasure, neither had realized.

“Caspar?” Her voiced drifted to the bathroom. “Are you mad?”

He walked out of the bathroom, grinning. “No one’s ever scratched my back before. Was it that good?”

Louise face flushed with absolute embarrassment. She’d never done that to any guy, but Caspar’s total look of smug satisfaction made her grin impishly. “Well it HAS been a while…….and we took a long time to get to this moment. You and your bloody long foreplay.”

He pulled out the sheets and encouraged her to get under before he did also. “You didn’t answer the question: was it good?”

She captured his face in her hands and dragged him close for a quick kiss. “Yes, yes it was very good.”

Caspar fist pumped the air and she laughed, giving a firm smack on his bum for his cheekiness.

“Ow!” He protested, still sore from the scratches and gave her own a smack. It escalated into a tussle which got them giggling and wiggling all over his bed.

Louise found great pleasure in touching Caspar. He truly had a magnificent body with defining lines, smooth skin and just the right amount of muscle to make her mouth water. The fact that he was giving himself to her was heady and overwhelming.

“Do you like my body?” She suddenly asked when he finally pinned her down and was nibbling at her collarbone.

“Serious? Of course I like your body!” Caspar said. “I’ve always loved your body. When I moved to London and I saw you for the first time I thought; Louise’s boobs and ass are amazing!”

“Caspar!” She said incredulously not knowing whether to be flattered or offended.

“Okay I was 18 when I got here. The fact of the matter was that there was you, Zoe, Niomi, and Tanya. I could’ve flirted with any one of them and I picked you, even though you were married and had a baby. You are funny, you’re smart and yes, definitely yes, you are sexy.”

“Okay, I believe you.” Louise said after a moment to muse, then kissed him lovingly on his forehead.

“Good, because I’m going to spend this weekend showing you EXACTLY how you turn me on.”

* * *

 

There was not much deep, thought provoking conversations during those days.

“Caspar, we’re not taking a shower together.”

“But we’ll be saving water!”

“You won’t try anything?”

“Nope. I’ll even wash your hair.”

He did wash her hair, but he lied about everything else.

* * *

 

_You’d think I killed his puppy,_ Louise thought when she told him she forgot to bring the soft pink satin slip and his face took on a devastated expression.

* * *

 

They had breakfast. She tried to get him to help her wash the dishes. He instead taught her a new meaning of the word “butter glutton”. She’ll never use the word around Dan ever again.

* * *

 

The pizza man rang the doorbell around the same time that Louise was screaming for him not to stop.

The universe was cruel for making him choose.

* * *

 

They ate pizza without incident, thank God. Though the way he concentrated on his meal made her wonder if she should be jealous. That was ridiculous of course, because she knew what Caspar would want in about half an hour. She, however, needed to give her tender body a break from Caspar’s ravenous sex drive, so she had to think of other methods of pleasure.

* * *

 

Caspar stared up at the ceiling, his brain currently missing, stunned to orgasmic silence as Louise admired her work from her vantage point on his lap.

* * *

 

They took a nap. Just a nap. Nothing happened.

* * *

 

They studied the sofa in mild disbelief. They didn’t know that could happen.

“I could buy a new sofa.”

“And leave the old one out for others to see??”

“No one would know it was us!”

“What if your friends ask what happened to the other sofa.”

“I’ll just blame it on Oli.”

“Caspar! No!”

“I’ll just tell them I broke it.”

“Well, maybe if you wash it?”

“Yeah, washing sounds like a better idea.”

“Caspar, and take this as a compliment, I have never laughed so hard in my life.”

* * *

 

The only gray spot in the whole weekend was the unexpected visit from Joe. They had been in bed discussing whether to order food or to go out when someone was opening the front door. Louise was shocked, but Caspar knew exactly who it was because there was only one person he gave a spare key to. He honestly didn’t care if Joe found out, but he knew that Louise was not there yet, so he ran out to stop him from getting further in.

“Joe!”

“Dammit, you’re home.” Joe replied then looked away from his former roommate because, not surprisingly, he was naked.

“Yes, I am and now I don’t mean to be rude, but you got to go.” Caspar said quickly.

“Why? You said you were having a quiet weekend and I thought I’d be busy, but I got a few hours to hang out.”

Caspar sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Um…..Joe…..I’m not alone.” He gestured towards the bedroom.

Joe’s face dropped in surprise as the message finally got across. He looked around the apartment and finally noticed the purse on the counter and the shoes by the door and that was probably a bite mark on his shoulder. “Shit, I am so sorry. I’ll just go now.”

“Yeah, thanks.” As he led his friend towards the door.

Before he stepped out Joe asked. “You got everything you need, right? Condoms and-”

“Yeah, yeah, I bought a whole box a few weeks ago.” He reassured him. “Trust me, it’s being used right now.”

“Jeez, it has been a while hasn’t it?”

“You have no idea.”

Once Joe exited, Caspar hurried back into his bedroom only to find it empty.

“Louise?”

“Did he leave?”

He turned to the bathroom to see her peek out from behind the door. She had dragged the sheets with her and had it wrapped around herself.

“Yeah, it’s safe.” He reassured her and she came out with a huff of relief.

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Neither did I. It looked like he was going to set up a prank.” He threw himself back on the bed and smothered his face with his hands.

Louise studied him. “Did you talk to him naked?”

“Yeah, it’s not like he’s ever seen me naked before. I like being naked.”

“And you wonder why so many people thought Jaspar was real.” She giggled.

Caspar grinned as he extended his arms out, flexing his fingers eagerly. “Come back to bed. We weren’t finished.”

“Yes, we were. We were talking about going out to eat because clearly you need it. I’ve got bite marks all over my tits.”

“I love your tits. I’ve been staring at them for years.” He admitted as he tugged her back down.

Louise wanted to be annoyed at him but he was grinning so wickedly at her. “Cheeky bugger.”

They went out, eventually.

* * *

 

The weekend was over too soon and Louise was so glad that she made the trip. It was everything she had hoped for and Caspar did not disappoint. They agreed to meet again as soon as they had more free time and to text as often as possible. Caspar kissed her good bye so passionately outside the train station that she forgot to be embarrassed and had to remember to put one foot before the other.

The whole trip back to Northampton was a pleasant blur. Matt dropped off Darcy shortly after getting home and she listened to her talk about her trip with her dad, which usually made her pine for the old days. Today however, her thoughts were on a handsome blonde who’s arms she already missed, and smiled.

* * *

 

Meanwhile back in London, Caspar already felt a tug of longing as he watched her train churn away into the distance. He suddenly heard someone clapping very close to him. Turning around he was badly startled to see Joe.

“Never seen you kiss anyone quite like that.” He said, folding his arms over his chest. “Practicing for a movie?”

Caspar sighed and shoved his hands into his coat pocket. “No, it was real.”

“I sure hope so.” Joe said and gestured with his head to follow him. “Come on, we have to talk.”

They found a bar nearby. Once they got their beers, Joe went in on him. “I don’t know why I haven’t punched you. What the hell do you think you’re doing, mate??”

Caspar gripped his beer. “What does it look like? I’m going out with Louise.”

“No, what it looked like to me was that you were having yourself a _fun_ weekend with Louise.”

“We were having a _romantic_ weekend.” Caspar replied firmly. “We were planning to get together earlier at her place but her daughter got sick. She came and surprised me.”

“So what this is just the two of you getting some energy out? A harmless shag?” He said sarcastically.

“I don’t know why it’s any of your business.” Caspar mumbled, taking a sip of his beer.

“It’s my business because I’ve known and cared about Louise for a bloody long time. She’s practically a sister to me. I don’t want to see her hurt. She’s been hurt enough!” Joe replied hotly.

Caspar looked down, ashamed but looked up when Joe added.

“And you’re my best mate, my little big brother. I know how you are. You got your heart on your sleeve and I hate the look on your face when some stupid bitch doesn’t treat you right.”  He ran a hand over his hair. “When did this happen?”

“Christmas.”

“And….?”

“She crept into my mind after the whole baby incident. I tried to ask her out around Christmas and she thought I was joking. Mum and Theo have been helping me ever since then.” He shrugged. “Nothing serious had been going on until this weekend. Most of it has been just….I dunno….wooing.”

“You know what wooing means?” Joe asked, then threw his hands up when Caspar shot him a look. “Sorry, I just have a hard time imagining this.”

“When did you suspect?”

“When I came into your apartment. I recognized her purse. A keychain she showed me that Darcy made her was dangling out of it. I thought maybe I’d gone mental, but I saw her come out of the building….and then that kiss before she left. If you two plan on keeping this a secret, you got to learn some discretion. Oli could’ve seen you guys.”

“Oh.” He took the advice to heart. “I really don’t care if our friends know about us, but we’re so new and Louise is nervous of what everyone would think. So can you keep a secret?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want. I’m assuming you made the first move? It had to be you, Louise is usually never interested in younger guys.”

“It took some convincing. She’s so sure I would flake out on her and it just took SO LONG for her to understand that I’ve changed and that I am attracted to her. I had my mum and sister advise me on what to do. I felt kind of stupid you know. Flirting with girls all these years and suddenly I noticed her.”

Joe patiently listened. “You’ve always noticed her. Well certain parts of her.” He shrugged. “Not that I blame you. I’ve noticed those parts too.”

Caspar eyed his good friend. “Aha! So all those times you kissed her-”

“No, no, no, no, no, NO! I was drunk two out of three kisses and the other one was strictly for the thumbnail.”

“So you’re telling me that moment in New York in the bathroom on her birthday you weren’t tempted?” Caspar countered.

Joe sighed and looked sheepish. “Okay, maybe a little….”

“AHA!”

“Don’t aha me! Nothing happened! Nothing could’ve happened. There were too many people we knew outside to discreetly get away and she’s not the type of woman who would want to have sex in a bathroom!”

Caspar gave him a smug smile.

Joe blinked, shocked. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. He drank some more and wet his lips. “May God strike me down if she ever finds out, but Louise’s…” He gestures over his chest, “….are they-”

“They’re amazing.” Caspar replied. “And that’s all you will ever know. By the way, don’t touch Louise.”

Sugg chuckled, recalling a similar threat years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm embarrassed to admit I had to watch a lot of Caspar Lee and Louise videos so I could understand their body language and sexual impulses. I thought I would never be able to get myself into writing smut for real life people. I think I did okay. Let me know how you liked it or if you want more details.


	11. Living On The Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone stuck their foot in their mouth and for once it's not Caspar.

Their relationship now consummated, they now had to take seriously the impact it would make on their lives. Caspar acknowledged that he would have to give way to Darcy in all matters, which Louise was relieved did not upset him. She understood that she would have to make more trips to London so they could be together. Communication should occur often. Both agreed that protection was paramount, even though they both loved babies, now was definitely not the time. They also agreed to keep the relationship a complete secret from everyone, friends included. For Louise, loving a younger man was wonderful and scary, but she didn’t want the added pressure of friends nosing in and putting their two cents about their actions. Caspar disagreed, but lost the argument.

Besides Joe, no one in their immediate circle guessed what was going on between them. Again, Caspar was more than fine with letting them know, but Louise was not ready yet. That meant that during events where they were all together sometimes they had to pretend to be stand offish. Sometimes they could pull it off. And sometimes not.

Some sound equipment was not responding, so the group milled about, texting, chatting or editing on their laptops while in a closet some yards away, something else was happening.

Pressed up against some old costumes, Louise and Caspar were locked in a heated embrace. They hadn’t had each other yet and the hunger was intense.

“Caspar this is crazy….” Even as her fingers worked on his belt and zipper.

“Ssh…..Quickly! Oh God…” His hands slipped under her skirt and without ceremony dragged her panties down to her feet.

Soon her face was buried into his coat, muffling her moans as he drove so deep and hard and vigorously into her that she wondered if she’d be able to walk. Caspar was so far gone that all he could do was pant roughly against her hair.

The release was hard, fast and blinding and left them both gasping for air. Their faces were flushed and damp with exertion. Quickly, they scrambled to get their clothes in order and separated to the restrooms.

Caspar returned to the group first, then Louise.

No one noticed. Though Joe suspected.

* * *

 

It stayed like this for a few months. They fumbled through the kinks of juggling family, friends, work and travel. They both had to learn patience and make changes for the other. They also had to go about their relationship discreetly, which proved to be both a blessing and a curse.  

Caspar would’ve been entirely too frustrated with the secrecy if it wasn’t for his mother and sister and Joe. Having him know allowed him to talk freely and Joe was a good ear, if a little brutal.

“Looks like Louise left a tube of mascara in your bathroom, mate.” Joe announced as he returned to Caspar’s living room.

Caspar shrugged, his eyes still on the TV. “I’ll just put it in my drawer and give it back to her next time.”

“Everything alright between you two?” He asked, plopping back down on the sofa.

“Yeah, we had a nice evening. Wish she could’ve stayed longer.”

“Thought you didn’t like clingy girlfriends.” Joe grinned.

“Louise doesn’t cling, she cuddles.” Caspar sighed. “She always smells nice. Like pears or something.”

“That’s not surprising, considering the stuff companies send her.”

“Yeah, she’s given me some of it. Smells good. Gonna send it to my mum.”

“Pampering you, eh?”

“Love it. It kind of blows my mind that she’s my girlfriend. I’ve been flirting with her for years and now I get to touch her, kiss her…..I get to wake up to her face.” Caspar beamed with pure delight. “And the rest of her.”

Joe chuckled. “So she’s….good?”

“She’s great. It’s like…..she’s got experience and she’s not scared to demand what she wants and the way she makes me feel….” Caspar let out a big breath, “…..Trust me, Joe, I’m not looking at anyone else.”

“I honestly haven’t seen you look this cheerful in a while. Guess she’s given you something to look forward to.”

“Have I been rather gloomy?”

“Not without reason, mate.” Joe explained kindly. “I know how much you were looking forward to that kid.”

“Yeah.” Caspar said quietly.

Joe nudged him with his shoulder. “You’re going to make a great dad someday.”

He smiled gratefully at his best friend. “Thanks.”

“Just don’t be too quick with Louise, eh? She loves babies, but she’s no pushover. Treat her nice and gentle. I’ve kept an eye on her whenever we were together and now I’m giving you some of the responsibility. Protect her, alright?”

“Aye-aye!” Caspar saluted, then nodded more seriously. “I will, promise.”

* * *

 

Sometimes when Louise came down to London she stayed in Caspar’s place, but other times they both preferred staying at a hotel.

In the privacy of their temporary room, passion ruled them, especially in the beginning. Any free hour they could find was spent thrusting and straining in each other’s arms. Sometimes it was desperate and furious; bodies arched and their moans echoed through the room. They’d finish sweaty and gasping over each other. Sometimes it was slow and sweet; mouths and bodies mingled, refusing to part. They’d while away the afterglow feeding each other kisses, still intimately joined. It was bliss and sometimes they wished they would never have to leave.

“Room service is a God sent.” Caspar would say as they ate their meal in bed. They had spent the weekend being pampered and both enjoyed it immensely. Her daughter was safely in her father’s care, so she didn’t worry about anything except reveling in some romance and companionship. As these times when they got to cohabit continued they quickly learned things about each other that they liked or disliked.

For one, both were rather unkempt, but only Louise felt slightly embarrassed about it. Neither one can cook particularly well, but they’d try for each other. They were both prone to being blunt so hurt feelings did occur. Caspar liked to be naked, Louise liked being in tops and knickers; it worked out well for both. Caspar did NOT like going shopping for make-up and Louise disliked music festivals. Louise took her time in the bathroom while he went quick. Neither of them liked waking up early. Both enjoyed food shopping and pizza.

It was during one of those lazy moments as they quietly watched a movie together that Caspar broached a question that had been in his head for a while.

“Can we finally tell our friends we’re dating?”

Louise dreaded this and wished she could ignore what she just heard. “I-I don’t know. They might not believe us.”

“Joe believed me.”

She looked at him, aghast. “Joe knew?? For how long??”

“He recognized something on your purse, then he followed us to the train station.” He admitted. “He saw us kiss.”

“That was-” She did a head count and her eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because you were uncomfortable with anyone knowing.” He explained, muting the movie. “We had a talk about it and he’s okay with us dating.”

“He is?” She asked anxiously.

“Well, he was worried about us breaking each other’s heart, but I promised him this wasn’t a fling. That we were being serious at this boyfriend/girlfriend thing.”

Hearing about Joe’s concern about them eased some of her anxiety and it caused her to think.

Caspar watched her muse and asked quietly. “So what do you think?”

“I wonder, if Joe’s okay with us dating……then maybe the rest will be too?” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m just concerned that they won’t understand. Maybe even question why the two of us would hook up…..”

“They wouldn’t do that. They’re our friends. If they care about us they’ll believe us.” He said confidently. ” Come on, Louise. I’m tired of hiding us from our friends.”

He made it sound so easy, but if she were honest with herself, she too, was tired of hiding their relationship. Caspar was important to her and she didn’t want pretend anymore.

* * *

 

They decided to do it in sections. Caspar wanted to tell his mates himself, which was fine with Louise since she wasn’t too familiar with most of them.

The majority of them met at Joe’s flat for a collaboration. He decided after they were done with the video that he’d spill the beans.

As they were milling about, getting ready to go to lunch when Caspar blurted it out.

“I have a girlfriend. Her name is Louise Pentland.”

At first there was no reaction……. then…..

“Why does that name sound familiar?” Josh said glancing up from his phone.

“She’s a Youtuber; sprinkleofglitter.” Joe specified.

Now he got everyone’s attention and they all looked at him.

Jack arched a brow. “You mean the blonde with the baby?”

Caspar rolled his eyes. “Hardly a baby. Darcy’s ten and getting quite good at editing videos.”

“Wait, isn’t she older than you?”

“A little.” He shrugged. “But does it really matter?”

“No, no I guess not. If you’re happy.” Conor said to himself, then asked. “You’ve been with her for a while?”

“A few months now.”

“Months?? Kept her hidden for this long?”

“She was nervous that you guys would judge us harshly, because of the age difference.” He said. “I talked her into telling our friends finally. I didn’t want to hide it, because I don’t care what anyone says. I really enjoy having her as my girlfriend and I want it to last.”

“Then that’s all that matters. Louise is a sweetheart.” Oli said, giving him a hug. “I’m happy for you, buddy.”

Everyone agreed and Caspar was so pleased. It went as well as he hoped.

They all left en masse to head to a local restaurant. Caspar was basking in a happy glow when Josh sidled up to him.

“So you serious about Louise?”

“Yeah, quite serious. You kind of have to be with a girl like that.”

“She’s not exactly a girl.” Josh pointed out. “She’s a grown woman who’s been married, divorced and with a child.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Isn’t she a little too mature for you?”

“She’s not that mature. We can be quite ridiculous together.” Caspar grinned. “Actually we’ve been talking about taking a trip together this summer since Darcy’s with her dad….”

“Does that bother you? Rearranging plans because of the little girl?”

“No, it’s fine. Darcy’s cool. We’ve hung out together loads. It’s not any different from when Theo and I had to be with our step parents. We learn to get along.”

“Never thought of it that way; it makes sense.” Josh mused. “I dunno I was just worried.”

“About what?”

“That you were dating someone who might not be…..right for you.”

“Why wouldn’t Louise be right for me?”

“Well because…..she’s not what you usually go for in a girl.” Josh said carefully.

Caspar eyed him. “If you’re gonna say something about her weight I’m going to-”

“No, no, no! That’s not the issue!” Josh backtracked quickly, the peered over his shoulders at the rest of their friends who were eyeing them suspiciously. “I’m just asking, are you sure you want to get into something so serious? Give up the life you’re use to?”

“Maybe I want to try something different.” Caspar said. “Maybe my old life was getting old.”

“Including your mates?”

“No! I love you guys…..I just want more. You know what I mean.”

“No, tell me about it.”

Caspar paused and sighed heavily. “I want to not feel lonely anymore. Someone permanent. A family.”

“So you’re dating a woman who already comes with a family?” Josh said. “Doesn’t that seem a little shallow reason to date someone?”

“That’s not the reason I’m dating her. There are other young mums if that’s what I was looking for. I’ve known Louise for too long to be doing something so stupid as to date her because she has a kid.”

The discussion was getting noticeably heated and everyone was getting nervous.

“Hey Josh. Shut up. Caspar can date who he wants!” Joe said, giving Josh a slight shove. “If you have a problem with Louise, Oli and I would be happy to screw your head on straight.”

“Yeah, leave her alone.” Oli added.

“I’m not disrespecting her!” Josh assured them, then turned back to Caspar. “I’m just wondering if Caspar isn’t trying to replace one kid with another.”

Josh suddenly found himself thrown to the ground. People near the group of men gasped and scattered. Caspar and Josh were quickly separated.

“You think I’m that stupid?! You think it’s so easy like buying a phone?? What do you know?? That was my baby!” Caspar gasped, Joe and Mikey holding him back from the prone man. “I had a little baby toy! I was ready to be a dad!”

“Caspar I’m-”

“No! Shut up! For three months I loved someone more than I loved myself and I LOST it!” He pushed the hands away from him and straightened his coat as he fought back the tears. “Fuck it and fuck you, Josh.”

“Caspar!”

“Caspar wait!”

“Buddy!”

But he pushed through them all and went back home, raw nerved and hurt.

* * *

 

Fortunately, Louise hadn’t come back by the time Caspar arrived to his apartment. He was able to splash his face and calm down. His phone was beeping like mad, but unless it was Louise, he refused to answer.

She arrived an hour later holding shopping bags, looking pretty satisfied with herself even though her hair bun was now in wisps around her face.

He smiled at the sight and was determined that the night will get better.

They were celebrating a young Youtuber’s first book launch and most of the old crew wanted to show up in support.

Louise was quite nervous when they got there, hand in hand, that she couldn’t eat a bite. Caspar was nervous to see Joe who quickly made a beeline to him the moment Louise was away with Zoe, Alfie and Marcus.

“You won’t answer your phone.”

“I didn’t want to talk to anyone.”

“Understood, but it was Josh that pissed you off, not us. We were worried.”

“I needed to be alone.”

“I understand but we were worried.” Joe emphasized.

Caspar sighed a looked down. “Sorry.”

Joe softened. “I have your back okay? I told them to give you a couple days so you could blow off some stem.”

“Thanks Joe.”

He glanced over to Louise who was with their group. “You going to tell them now?”

“Yeah, hopefully this will go better.”

“It should.” Joe tugged at him. “Come on, let’s do this.”

Louise was in fine spirits and everyone was happy to be there. Even their young hostess was there basking in the experience she was absorbing among them.

Caspar sidled up to Louise and casually threw his arm around her. She beamed up at him and held his hand over her shoulder. Everyone noticed. Zoe, Alfie, Jim, Tanya and Marcus looked mildly confused. Hazel beamed with smug satisfaction.

“Um, so, now that I have your attention.” Louise started. “Caspar and I have been meaning to tell you all that for the past couple of months-” She let out a nervous giggle.

“We’re dating!” Caspar blurted up with a pleased smile.

For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly a snort escaped the newest member of the Youtube family.

“This is a joke, right? A prank!” Her eyes lit up. “I got to vlog this!” She went off to get her camera.

“Oh my God, this is a prank, isn’t it? Chummy!” Zoe giggled.

Alfie grinned. “For like a second I almost believed it.”

“Me too.” Said Jim.

Joe palmed his face and Hazel rolled her eyes.

“No you weren’t-” Tanya countered, completely unbelieving.

Marcus just stared still a little confused.

This was everything that Louise had feared about. Her smile dropped and she felt the room close around her.

“Okay, I’m back. Can you do it again?” The girl came back, camera on.

Louise fled.

Caspar stared at them all angrily. “Shit, man. All of you!” He stormed off after her.

All of them started to talk at once, but he was long gone.

He found her stomping away angrily, sobbing as she stabbed at her phone. Caspar quickly caught up and tried to hug her, but she pushed him away.

“A joke! We’re a joke!” She sobbed. “Of course we are. Why would Caspar date Louise, the old, fat mum!”

“Louise, just, no! Don’t think like that-”

“And she was going to VLOG it! Put the whole thing for the internet to see!”

“No! Never happen!” Caspar assured her.

Her make-up was an utter mess by now, but she couldn’t stop crying. “I was so scared this was going to happen and it did! It did! I hate this! I hate this!”

“Louise! Shut Up!”

Shocked by the sudden vehemence in his voice, Louise fell into a stunned silence.

Caspar let out a breath. “Sorry, I just wanted you to listen.”

She swallowed thickly and nodded her head. “Okay, I’m listening.”

He reached out to touch her and she let him. He wrapped her up in his arms and buried his face in her hair. She embraced his waist and held him tight.

“We have good friends. They’re just shit sometimes.”

Louise snorted wetly.

“They don’t get to tell us if we are right for each other. I like us, don’t you?”

She nodded against his chest.

“Joe’s probably setting them straight right now. Calling them little shits or something.”

“Hazel’s probably calling them worse.” She murmured.

“Hazel knew about us?” He asked, surprised.

“Hazel’s the one who told me to take you on.” She admitted.

“I love Hazel.”

“I love her too.”

He brushed her hair back and looked down at her. “Want to go back and talk to them?”

She looked behind herself and shook her head.

“Still angry?”

She nodded. Caspar sighed and rested his chin on her head.

“I’m angry too. Fuck’em. This was supposed to be a good day and our friends let us down.”

“Something happened with the others?” She murmured against him.

“Me and Josh had it out.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later.” He said. “Let’s go home and get to bed. We’ll face it all tomorrow.”

Louise drew back and tried her best to brush the tears from her eyes. “I really don’t want to face it tomorrow. I wish we could just get away for a bit.”

Caspar, who was in the middle of calling a cab suddenly perked up. “Why don’t we?”

“What?”

“Go somewhere. Get away.”

Louise’s mind fumbled for a bit. “Um….w-where? Northampton?”

He shook his head. “Farther. Somewhere we won’t get found so easily.”

“Spain?”

“Disneyworld.”

“WHAT??”

“You brought your passport, didn’t you? In case we went on a trip?”

“We discussed Spain, France, but Disneyworld??”

“I want to feel happy and Disneyworld is a guarantee! Darcy’s spending two weeks at her dad’s place and we have no other events holding us down. We can book the tickets tonight, leave in the morning. People think we’re ridiculous, we’ll give them a reason to think we’re ridiculous! Let’s go crazy.”

Louise had never done anything so impulsive in her life. She liked her days planned out and her space comfortable. Her daughter and cats were currently in good hands. Her suitcase, passport and camera were safe back at Caspar’s place. She had money in her bank and just bought a load of new clothes and make-up to try. More importantly, she dreaded the idea of having to talk and cry it out with all her friends.

“Let’s do it.”

* * *

 

“Mummy, why couldn’t I go to Disneyworld with you?” Darcy pouted through the camera phone.

Caspar butted his head into view. “I kind of surprised her so she didn’t know.”

“You have to take me to Disneyworld next time, Caspar!” She declared.

“I promise. Next time.”

Louise nudged Caspar away and smiled at her child. “I promise to get you something nice while I’m here! Be a good girl for daddy.”

“Yes, Mum. Take some pictures so I can make a video!”

“Absolutely.”

After a few minutes, she hung up on her and relaxed on the hotel bed.

It had been something of a mad rush, getting back to the flat, grabbing their stuff, booking a flight and a room at the park. Both their phones were beeping like crazy, but Caspar only answered for Joe to let them know that they were fine and needed some space. They were in the Grand Floridian at Disneyworld; a hotel Louise was familiar with and therefore felt comfortable at.

However, upon arriving, instead of going out into the park or doing something romantic; they ate lunch and took a long, long nap.

When they woke up they were hungry again and this time ventured out to eat. Louise’s head was still spinning with shock, but the friendly atmosphere and staff were very reassuring. Caspar was doing his best to amuse her and flirted with her shamelessly. When they went back to their room, they made love and it felt so good to be lost in the pleasure and the slow, gentle rhythm. It was also very assuring to see how well their bodies connected so intimately.

They showered half asleep, made plans for tomorrow half asleep and went to bed again.

During the middle of the night Caspar awoke, roused by the sound of one their phones beeping. It was Louise’s and he reached over her to answer it, thinking it might be Darcy. It wasn’t; it was Zoe. Briefly he thought about not answering it, but the beeping was bothering Louise so he answered it.

“Hello?”

“Um, Caspar?”

“Hi Zoe.”

“Hi Caspar. Is Louise there?”

“Yeah, but she’s asleep and I’d rather not wake her.” He glanced down at her who was in deep sleep, thumb in mouth. “She looks really cute right now.”

“Thumb is in her mouth?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, she is upset.” Zoe paused. “Alfie and I tried your flat, then Northampton. Where are you guys?”

“Disneyworld.”

“What??”

Caspar shrugged. “We wanted to get away.”

“You guys went across the pond to avoid us?”

“I’d prefer the word delay. We’ll talk to you guys when we get back.”

“This was your idea, wasn’t it?”

“Josh pissed me off, you guys pissed me off. Louise was very upset and as her boyfriend it’s my duty to make her happy.” He scooted farther into the bed and stroked Louise’ blonde strands. “So I took her to the happiest place on earth.”

There was another pause. “You’re a good boyfriend, Caspar.” When he didn’t reply, she asked. “What are you doing?”

“Admiring my girlfriend. She looks beautiful when she sleeps. Of course, I might take a picture of her sucking her thumb and use it as blackmail later.”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Nah, I’m just going to kiss her awake and talk her into some predawn sex. Good night!”

“Caspar!”

He hung up the phone and set it aside. Cuddling up close to her he kissed her face, then down her neck. She twitched and moaned a bit. He began to nudge her and she opened her eyes a little.

“Mm, Caspar……what….doing?”

“Warming you up.” He murmured against her skin, nibbling on the curve of her breast. Her body familiar with his tricks, shifted up against his lips. He smiled triumphantly and rested a clever hand between her thighs.

“It’s early.” She whined, not pushing him away.

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect. Your body is perfect.” He proclaimed, teasing her.

Arousal snaked through her body and the heat pooled between her thighs where his fingers were doing just terribly wonderful things to her. His clever tongue had found her breasts and her body arched against his mouth.

“Come here.” She said, tugging him up for a kiss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooooooooooo sick and exhausted. Just in time for Christmas. Hurry for me. The following chapters might be late because of the holidays and because I owe someone a Daspar fic. I hope you enjoy. Comment if you do.


	12. The Green Eyed Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caspar and Louise live in the moment before having to face the music.

The next day they finally made it to the park and enjoyed it. Since she left her sparkly ears at home she had to buy a new one. Caspar opted for the classic Mickey ears. They were not bothered by fans, thank goodness. They rode on the big rides like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, screaming with enthusiasm. They saw some shows, ate some food and generally had a good time until the fireworks went off. It was freaking magical. As was the next day at Epcot and the proceeding day at Animal Kingdom.

At Animal Kingdom, Louise paused to do some shopping, wanting to see what she could get Darcy. She turned to ask Caspar’s opinion on a shirt when she saw him palm a little stuffed zebra rather lovingly. His expression was quiet, a little sad. She turned away and gave him privacy, giving herself a mental note to talk to him later.

* * *

 

In the evening after dinner they decided to walk around the hotel.

“So what happened between you and Josh?” Louise asked curiously.

“Why you ask?”

“Because he sent a few texts while you were taking a shower and I remembered you said that you’d tell me.”

Caspar sighed, “He said some things that upset me. Things about you and about the baby.”

“Oh, he doesn’t like me?”

“No, he was questioning my reason for being with you.” They paused over particularly nice view of the Florida lagoon and he leaned back on the railing. “He was saying that I was with you because you were a mum. That I was using your daughter to replace the one I lost.”

Louise winced. “That’s….pretty harsh.”

“Yeah and I, um, kind of threw him down and exploded on him.” He sighed heavily. “I’m not a violent person, not in the least-”

“-I know, I know.” She reached out and cupped his face, which he leaned towards instinctively. “It’s still a sensitive topic for you and that’s understandable.”

“I know that people will think that I’m too young for you or that you’re too old for me and I really don’t care, but what I don’t want is for people to think I’m with you because you’ve had a kid and I want to make another with you. You’re not just a…..” He frowned, struggling for the word.

“A uterus?” She offered.

“Is that where the baby grows? Yeah, I don’t want you because of that.”

“So then the question is, why do you want me? I mean before the baby we were friends and after the baby I was suddenly someone worth dating.” She asked, genuinely curious because it is something that she mused on. “Let’s face it, I’m in my late 30’s and while medical science has grown, my uterus is no longer in top physical shape.”

“I’ve always found you pretty, Louise. I enjoyed flirting with you and I loved it when you indulged my affections.” He grinned. “Loved getting reactions out of you.” He sobered. “But I treated it as fun and games until I was suddenly forced to face reality of being a parent. It kind of showed me that I had to stop dicking around and be an adult. It flipped a switch in my head, you know?”

“Parent mode.” She mused. “I’m familiar with it.”

“You were the best help I ever got. I mean everyone tried to help, but I related more to you. I felt warm and safe with you.” His eyes were the bluest blue as he looked at her “When I tried to date again I realized that it wasn’t the same. I didn’t want some quick excitement or some cute girl who wanted a one-night stand. I wanted a girlfriend, something real.”

“And I’m real?” She asked, smiling faintly.

“Really, real.” He confirmed. “It finally occurred to me that instead of flirting with you why not actually date you?”

Louise snorted. “You didn’t date me, you _seduced_ me! You and your sandwiches, flowers, sexy text messages. Your hands, mouth and body. I couldn’t say no, because I didn’t know what you were offering and by the time I realized what you were offering, I couldn’t say no because I wanted it so bad.”

“Did you always think I was sexy?” Caspar asked, grinning.

“When I met you I thought you were obnoxious.” She admitted.” I invite you out for a day and you plain forgot.”

Caspar sighed, wincing. “I was a stupid teenager. It’s amazing you still talked to me back then. But really was there ever a time you thought I was attractive?”

Louise thought about for a moment, leaning on the rail and smiled to herself. “The cover of your book. I thought you looked so handsome. All grown up.”

“Photoshop can do that.” He glanced around and nodded towards a strip of beach some distance from them. A small wedding was taking place just as the sun was setting.

Louise beamed at the scene. “That’s lovely. The sunset is going to look gorgeous on the photos.”

“Mm, South Africa has better sunsets.”

“You would say that.” She nudged him.

“No, it’s true though.” He insisted, taking her hand. “Colors are all over the place. You’d love it.”

“You think so?” She teased as they started walking away.

“I know it.” He said confidently. “One day I’ll take you there. You and Darcy. You’ll love it.”

She’s gone to many places, never Africa. As usual, the thought of doing something new thrilled and unnerved her, but she had Caspar and that counted for something. “I believe you.”

* * *

 

The trip was relaxing, enjoyable and everything they wanted it to be, but soon the day came when they had to pack their bags and head on home.

_Time to face the music_ , Louise thought as their plane made its final descent into London.

They had about three more days before she had to head back to Northampton and collect Darcy, so they did the sensible thing and napped the first day away before letting it be known to their friends that they were back via mass text message.

They were just finishing their cereal when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Louise opened it and was surprised to see Joe and Josh.

“Well, that was fast.” She blurted out before apologizing and letting them in. “Caspar!”

He turned, looking surprised. “I just sent the message out.”

“Well I thought it best to just get it over with, you know?” Josh asked, his hand stuffed into his coat. “So can we talk?”

Louise looked over at Caspar who slowly nodded. “Should I leave then? Give you guys some privacy.”

“You don’t have to.” Josh said.

“Actually, if it’s not too much maybe we could talk?” Joe asked. “Go to Starbucks and have a chat?”

Curious about Joe had to say, she agreed. She usually took her time getting ready, but she knew that now was not the time. Putting on what she could, she threw on her clothes, grabbed a coat and followed Joe out.

Which left the two men alone. There was a moment of silence that Caspar absolutely hated and he groaned before saying frustratingly, “Can you talk already so we can be mates again?”

“Yeah, definitely want to be mates again. I’m sorry I said those things. I disrespected you and Louise for no good reason.”

“Then why did you?”

“I don’t know. I guess when you told us, she wasn’t what I imagined you’d want for yourself so I started to question your reasons why. I mean, after what happened with the miscarriage you’ve been different and I’ve been worried for you, but none of us ever thought to talk to you about it. I don’t know why. Stupid man reasons, I guess.”

“That’s why you brought it up?”

“Yeah, exactly. I just wanted to make sure you had your head on straight. I just went at it the completely wrong way. I know……I know you can’t replace what you lost. I was stupid for ever saying it. If Louise makes you happy then I’m happy for you.”

Caspar smiled and grabbed his friend in a hug that he returned with great relief.

“Mates?”

“Mates.”

“I can’t believe you went to Disneyworld.”

“I was upset with a lot of people, so was Louise. You can never be sad in Disneyworld.”

“Well while you two were busy cheering up, I spent the whole week getting an earful from everybody. Joe actually kicked me straight in the arse!”

“You deserved it.” Caspar said with a grin.

“Well maybe, but remind me never to make him mad. He’s small, but he’s vicious.”

“Mm,” Caspar agreed, “Like a Chihuahua.”

Meanwhile Joe and Louise found a nice quiet spot in Starbucks to enjoy their drinks.

“So what do you want to talk about?” She asked, taking a sip.

“About what happened at the party.” He said, making himself comfortable. “First off, they felt really, really stupid and I told them they were stupid. Hazel called them something worse which is not appropriate for our current location.”

“Oh dear.”

“No shit. She’s got more balls than a whole rugby team. Anyway, everyone felt bad, but Zoe was in tears, feeling like a git for hurting your feelings and wanted to talk to you immediately, but they didn’t know where you were staying. I told her to give you a day to calm down and the next thing we know you guys were in Florida.”

“Yeah, that was Caspar’s idea.”

“Well Zoe’s desperate to talk to you and she’s been absolutely miserable. Alfie can’t cheer her up and as her brother I am obligated to do something about my sister’s well-being.” He sighed. “So can you please pick up your phone and let her apologize to you? You two not talking to each other goes against the laws of physics or something.”

The thought of Zoe being so upset was upsetting to say the least. She took out her phone and immediately called her.

Zoe picked up at the first ring. “Louise?”

“Hi Chummy.” She said softly.

Almost instantly the water works started. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I would never ever laugh at you!”

Joe watched with mild concern as he listened and watched as both women became a tornado of tears, laughter, words and basically made a garbled mess of a conversation.

“I was so scared you wouldn’t believe me-”

“-Of course I believe you!”

“I mean Caspar is so young and-”

“-Caspar is lucky to have you! He is!”

“The way everyone looked at me-”

“-EVERYONE is sorry. No one hates you I promise-”

“I had to get away. That stupid camera was in front of me-”

“She didn’t get anything! She felt so stupid-”

“-Caspar was so desperate to calm me down-”

“-I can’t believe you two just went to Orlando!”

“It was amazing Chummy. So much fun and so romantic!”

“Awww! Chummy, I’m so happy for you two!”

“You’re okay with this? You don’t think it’s weird?”

“No, it’s rather nice. He’s spontaneous and you’re calm. You balance each other out.”

“Darcy likes him.”

Zoe gasped. “He’s met Darcy?”

“He’s great with Darcy.” Louise said sighing. “He’s turning out to be someone really special to me.”

“Aw, Chummy. Sounds like you’re in love.”

Her heart throbbed at the idea. “Do you really think so? I fall in love so easy.”

Joe arched a questioning brow before continuing texting on his phone.

“You do fall in love easy, but you don’t let just any guy meet Darcy.”

“True.” She mopped the tears from her eyes, secretly grateful she didn’t put on any eye make-up. “Thank you, Chummy. We need to meet up sometime this summer.”

“Absolutely. I think I’ll come up to you. I’ve been cooped up in Bristol for too long.”

“It’s a date. I love you, Chummy.”

“I love you too.”

Louise hung up the phone and looked at the man across from her who was nonchalantly texting. “You’re the best you know that?”

“Thanks.” Joe said, finally looking up at her. “I look out for those I love, you know?”

“I haven’t heard your opinion about Caspar and I.”

“I actually thought the worst of Caspar when I found you out. He’s always flirted with you and had little fantasies so I worried that he was living them out with you without thinking of the consequences. Thought he talked you into a fling or something.”

“I initially thought that’s what he wanted too.” Louise agreed. “He had been very sexual with his come-ons and such, but then we also had conversations and lunches. We had our first kiss months and months later. We didn’t, you know, until some time after that.”

“That doesn’t sound like Caspar’s usual methods of pulling girls.” Joe mused. “Well, we talked and he convinced me he was being serious. If he hadn’t I would’ve told him to stop or I would’ve called you. If my word had any weight in the matter.”

“Of course your words matter.” Louise confirmed sincerely. “I’ve always trusted you, Joe.”

“Take of each other then. I care for you both.”

* * *

 

After that whole kerfuffle, things started to settle. No longer having to hide from their friends, Caspar and Louise felt a whole lot more comfortable. They still hid their relationship from their fans, but that was just common sense. No one wanted to open that can of worms, especially to a scathing, hyper critical, overly curious public who’ve been known to put their foot so far into their mouth that it was coming out of their ass.

As the weeks progressed, another round of conventions had to be attended. As much as they wanted to be together most of the time it wasn’t meant to be.

What Louise quickly learned, especially when editing her videos, is that Caspar actually had a jealous streak, which meant she had to be mindful of what she left in. If they were together it was fine; if they were separated and she was in the company of any of the other male vloggers, he was a mess. Not since Matt had she had a guy get jealous over her and she took a tiny bit of pleasure in it, but only a little.

 She and Dave Erasmus did a collab together and of course the comments were of the shipping nature. Caspar read them, got upset and he actually wanted to call Dave to say that while he knew it meant nothing, he couldn’t touch Louise.

That sort of became the mantra of most of the jealousy fueled conversation. Don’t touch Louise.

Caspar was the most jealous of Dan Howell. Handsome, mysterious, flirty winking Dan. Everyone agreed that the level of comfort Louise had with him was enviable second only to what he had with Phil. They clicked, they connected, and the only reason why he hadn’t told him not to touch Louise was because she made it perfectly clear that Dan and Phil were her lovely boys and he was not allowed to do so. So he lost that argument.

Marcus Butler, being a sarcastic twat, asked if he could touch her if she was about to fall.

Alfie had a good long laugh about that.

Caspar had replied that catching her from a fall was fine, but Marcus couldn’t have his shirt off around his girlfriend. Louise had laughed herself sick and sarcastically remarked how he was taking away her eye candy. The minute Caspar had Louise back home, he proceeded to pleasure her so completely that the only treat she wanted was what he was giving her.

Joe had been given the conversation long ago, but he didn’t care. He knew Louise for longer so Caspar could pout all he wanted.

It’s not to say that Louise didn’t have her own moments of jealousy. Caspar was young, friendly and handsome and most of his fans were young, pretty girls. Not to mentioned he collabed with beautiful Youtubers and interviewed beautiful people. Unlike her boyfriend, she didn’t call said women and told them to not touch him. She’s not that ballsy. Instead she’d call her friends like Zoe, Hazel or Marie who reassured her that he wouldn’t ever do something stupid. Plus, wherever Caspar went, he was with friends and that was a huge comfort.

There was that one time though, when one little up and coming vlogger wasn’t taking Caspar’s hint that he was seeing someone seriously, that she had to intervene. Coming to the table they were sitting at with some other acquaintances, Louise captured Caspar’s chin and lifted his face up for a loving peck which he happily returned. She had apologized and snatched him away for some lunch, leaving the girl’s mouth hanging and the others snickering. Caspar giggled, loving her possessiveness of him.

She had to admit she took some slight mean pleasure in the public display, but she didn’t make a habit of it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel better enough to deliver one last bit of laspar love before the holiday kicks into high gear. This is a short one though, so I hope you guys don't mind. Comment if you like. :)


	13. Stage Fright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship deepens, and then it's put to the test.

Whenever Louise was in London she was staying at Caspar’s almost exclusively by now. His flat was becoming a second home and some of her stuff was finding a permanent place there. It was a new experience for Caspar, having a girlfriend long enough that she had her stuff at his place. In a strange way it made him feel less lonely knowing that she would eventually come home to him. The day he gave her a copy of the keys was momentous and entering his flat to see her there waiting was some of the best days ever or nights ever. God, he loved coming home to see her curled up in his bed at night. He’d shed his clothes and spoon her in his arms. Sometimes she’d snuggle in and continue snoozing or sometimes she’d wake and they end up having slow, sleepy sex. The best kind.

The only time those beautiful moments were interrupted was when she had to stay in a hotel because Darcy had to come down with her. Initially, Caspar understood that his place was not quite fit for children, plus his friends have used his guest room often for numerous different reasons; not all of them clean. The worst of which were the pranks and Caspar did NOT want something that was meant for him to accidentally harm Louise or worse, Darcy. Louise had changed parts of his home life, such has having food and snacks readily available, making sure there were fresh towels and blankets and pleaded not to be included in any pranks. He had promised long ago that he would always give way to Darcy and adjusted. As time progressed however, when even his friends asked why the girls had to stay at a hotel instead of with him, he started to dislike it and wanted to do something about it.

“Louise, I’ve been thinking of changing my guest room.” He said tentatively as they ate pizza and watched a movie in the comfort of their couch. “Could you help me?”

“Sure! I’d love to!” She said excitedly. “What you have in mind?”

“I don’t like the idea that Darcy isn’t welcomed here. She is and I want to decorate the guest room in a way that would allow for her to stay here.”

Louise was shocked. “Caspar….that’s your only other room. If your friends come-”

“They rarely stay overnight anymore.” He admitted. “They know you’re making yourself at home so-”

“I didn’t mean to make them feel uncomfortable.” She said, upset at the notion.

“No, I know. They’re just respecting our relationship by giving us space. It’s a guy thing.”

“Are you sure?”

“This was a bachelor pad, but I’m not a bachelor anymore am I?”

“No,” she said in a small voice, growing thoughtful. “But I feel as if you’re making more changes for me than I am for you. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“It’s not fair if I didn’t want to, but I’m asking you. Having you here feels so good. It feels like home to me, but for you home includes Darcy and it honestly hurts that-”

“What hurts?”

“That you and Darcy are in a hotel having fun and I can’t be there to join in. I want to be a part of your lives. Can I be?”

Louise was going to cry, seriously cry. She threw her arms around her boyfriend and kissed him repeatedly. The night ended really well.

They both decided to paint the room a soft grey, similar to the color at her house. When it came to the furniture, they decided to involve Darcy herself, who took great pleasure walking from store to store perusing the beds, drawers, desks and shelves before deciding on a white set with clean lines, silver handles and a soft white headboard.

Since this room would be predominantly for a girl, Caspar decided to add his own feminine touch by having some long shelves installed and his collection of Emma Lees and Shaniquas at the topmost amongst the books. Darcy had no problems with it, only insisting that some of the older dolls needed prettier dresses which she supplied from her own collection of doll clothes. They decided on two different set of sheets. Whenever Darcy was there, the lavender flower printed bedsheets would be used. The regular days would just have plain white. To add a personal touch, several photos that Darcy had taken were developed and framed.

It was perfect.

First time the young girl put her room to use she loved it and Caspar woke up for the first time to the sound of Louise and Darcy chatting over breakfast in his flat. He could hear the little girl ask which was his favorite cereal so it can be out for him to enjoy. He wasn’t immediately there, but he was already thought of. He loved it and never wanted it to change.

* * *

 

Another convention, this time in London. Everyone had to make an appearance. You would think after so many years on Youtube that the number of fans would wane, but the very mention of the Gleam team got the fans excited.

Louise was doubly excited. Darcy was going to try to vlog the entire trip for the first time and there was going to be a huge panel with herself, Dan and Phil on collaborations and friendships. They were going to be in the largest hall as the fan turnout was expected to be huge.

“Caspar how does this look to you?” asked Darcy as she held up her camera for him to inspect.

“Looks good. Nice and clean. You got extra batteries?” He asked, checking the lens.

She shook her shoulder bag and nodded. “Yes.”

“All ready then?” Asked Louise as she emerged from the bathroom made up and well dressed.

“Yup, waiting on you.” Caspar said, straightening as he led them towards the door.

“Did you get a snack Darcy?”

“No, Mummy.”

“Caspar, you didn’t give her a snack!”

“There’s snacks at the hotel. Free drinks and sandwiches and everything.” He countered.

“Mummy, I want a free sandwich.” She insisted.

Louise sighed. “I can never win an argument with you two.”

They got to the hotel where the convention was taking place. While Darcy had been to conventions before, this was the first one where she’s been conscious of everything that was going on around her. It would’ve made her extremely shy and nervous if it wasn’t for the fact that she had camera duties. Focusing on the camera and determined to make a cool video calmed her considerably.

Until she drank one too many bottles of water.

“Mum, I have to go to the bathroom.”

Just as Louise got up to take her daughter, the event coordinator came with Dan and Phil in tow.

“Ms. Pentland, time to get on stage.”

She sighed in frustration and made her daughter follow them while texting for Caspar or Zoe.

Along the back halls, Caspar emerged. “What is it?”

“She needs to go to the bathroom and I need to be on stage!”

“Okay, I got this.” Caspar said, taking Darcy. “Come on, let’s go quickly so you don’t miss the show.”

Darcy followed Caspar and called out to her mum. “Don’t start without me!”

Louise smiled and waved. “I’ll do my best!”

* * *

 

Louise was more anxious about Caspar and Darcy being late to the panel to even consider her surroundings.

A series of events happened when Sarah, the MC, called her out to the stage. Louise had just made it to the center to hug her when a metallic groan, nearly drowned out by the cheering crowd, was faintly heard. In two heartbeats, the stage buckled and collapsed. Dan, who just got on the stage, wobbled, then grabbed the curtains that were being held by the aluminum pipes so he didn’t skid down the crumpling stage and instead fell with the curtains four feet to the floor. Phil had been yanked back on the stairs and he tumbled with a crew member. The audience that had been screaming with glee now screamed in horror.

Louise and the MC where nowhere to be found. Where they last stood was a broken stage. The large tables, the chairs, the podium, the microphones and the cables all sank into the V-shaped hole where the women had stood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting off 2017 with a bang, aren't I? How badly shall she be hurt? Find out next chapter. Comment if you like.


	14. But Darling, Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louise is in danger and Caspar will not sit idly by.

Caspar had just gotten Darcy out of the bathroom when he heard the screaming and the cries for help. Fearing something had gone terribly wrong, his first thought was to get Darcy somewhere safe and find Louise. Then when he realized that the screaming crowd was coming out of the hall that Dan, Phil and Louise’s panel was located, a ball of fear grew in his belly.

“Caspar, what’s going on?” Darcy demanded to know.

“C’mon, we’re finding your mum.” He replied as security and rescue workers started running into the crowd.

* * *

 

“DAN! You okay??!” Phil called out as he got up from his awkward position on the stairs. The crew member who had saved him groaned as she got up.

Dan clutched his left hand, two of his fingers throbbing in agony and looked at the stage. “LOUISE!! Phil! Louise is in there!!” He grunted as he got up, stumbled and started looking into the debris. “LOUISE!”

Phil quickly ran around the other side, panicked. “LOUISE! SARAH! Oh my God! Say something!”

!!!!!

Caspar heard through the security walkie talkies.

“…….Stage collapse….”

“………Immediate medical attention…..”

“….hall is cleared….”

“…….Two females are trapped…..possible injuries…..”

Caspar suddenly hauled Darcy up in his arms, causing her to gasp, and he ran like a mad man into the crowd. Alfie, Zoe, Joe, Josh and Marcus suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking worried. Seeing Caspar running with a startled Darcy thrown over his shoulder, they gave chase.

“What happened?? What happened?” Marcus called out, catching up.

“Stage collapsed……Dan, Phil and Louise…..two women are trapped!” Caspar huffed, pushing roughly through the terrified crowd.

“Shit!” Alfie said, suddenly all of them rammed through the crowd until they were halted by security.

“Sorry, you can’t come in. There’s been an accident.” Security guard said.

“Our friends are in there! Let us in!” Alfie demanded.

* * *

 

“Sir, let us look at your injuries-”

“Get the fuck off me!” Dan shoved the paramedic away and pushed into the wreckage with the others who were carefully moving to free the girls. “LOUISE!”

Phil, shocked and numbed, heard a louder commotion outside. Recognizing Alfie’s voice, he was spurred into action. “Alfie!! Louise needs help!!”

* * *

 

The fear was real. Caspar heard Phil’s call. He set Darcy down in front of Zoe who looked ready to burst. “Watch Darcy, okay?”

She nodded and pulled the little girl into her arms.

“Caspar, where’s mummy?” Darcy said in a small voice.

“I’m going to find out. Wait here and don’t do anything to worry your mum.”

What happened next, no one saw coming. Caspar, with unexpected violence, plowed through the main security guard blocking their way. It was all they needed for the rest of the guys to force their way into the hallway and into the wreckage.

A stream of curses left a number of lips before they ran in with the other men and started helping to move pieces out of the way.

Dan was now down enough to see some blonde hair and the fear she might be dead was more than he could bear. “Louise?? Louise? Please talk to me!”

“Dan.” Came the weak reply.

The relief was so overwhelming that he wept. “Oh my God, thank God. Don’t ever do that to me again!”

“I can’t move. Sarah….”

“Is she alright??”

“I don’t know.”

“Louise!!!” Caspar suddenly called out, moving beside Dan. “We’re gonna get you out! Alfie! Marcus! Help me lift this thing off her!”

At the sound of Caspar’s voice only one thing came to mind to the injured woman. “Darcy….where’s Darcy?”

“She’s with Zoe outside. She’s safe.”

“Don’t let her see me like this.”

“She’s not, she’s safe.” Caspar assured her as the guys quickly made progress.

“I still can’t move…..” She said, then turned her head slightly to see the other woman blink. “Sarah! You okay??”

The other woman just groaned.

“Two women are still alive. Working to remove the wreckage.” A paramedic suddenly reported from nearby.

Finally, they found the final thing that had pinned Louise down; the podium. Caspar and Marcus carefully lifted the thing off her and they could finally see her.

Louise was laying on her side, her head resting on an arm. Her face was covered in blood, one shoe was missing and her legs were cut up. She took a short breath and whined in sudden pain. The MC, Sarah, could now be seen better underneath a broken table. Joe and Josh worked to get her out.

Caspar was immediately at Louise’s side, terrified at her stillness. “Louise, you’ll be okay.”

She shifted a bit, despite the paramedics warning her not to and everyone was relieved when she rolled onto her back without aid. “I think so. I can feel my toes.”

“Good.” He studied her forehead as the men coaxed her onto a stretcher. He winced when she did and wished they didn’t handle her too roughly. “Careful with my girlfriend, guys!”

“I’m okay, I think.” She said softly as the paramedics looked her over. Her friends gathered close, concerned. “How do I look?” She joked weakly.

“Like you had a stage on top of you.” Marcus said worriedly.

“One minute you and the MC were there and the next you weren’t.” Phil said who had been hovering over Dan who had the paramedics fussing over his hand. “What even happened?”

“I don’t know. I heard this weird sound coming from the floor and the next thing I knew I was in a hole.” Louise said, touching her head. When she noticed the blood her eyes widened.

“Okay, Ma’am, we’re taking you to the hospital.” A paramedic said as they secured her on the stretcher and started to push.

Louise was startled as they put a mask over her face and started to wheel her away. She looked up at Caspar worriedly.

“I want to go with her.” Caspar said, following them to the ambulance that was outside the emergency doors.

“Are you family? Her husband?”

“Obviously.” He said without thinking twice.

Everyone of their friends, including Louise, gave Caspar a stunned look.

The paramedic didn’t even question it and Caspar climbed into the ambulance.

“Bring Darcy. Tell her Louise is alright.” He said just as the doors closed and they sped off.

* * *

 

Caspar and Louise had similar thoughts when it came to hospitals: Nothing good came from them. While the doctors whisked her off to be examined, he anxiously waited. This reminded him of the last time he paced in a hospital waiting room and he began to panic that something wrong was going to happen. He felt himself twitch and his hands curling and uncurling badly. Desperate not to give in to his fears, he called his mother.

“Caspar?”

“Mum, Louise is in the hospital and I’m here waiting and I can’t-I just can’t-” He began to blurt out, fear lacing his words.

“Shh! Shh! Caspar, I need you to take a deep breath right now. Listen to my voice,” Emily said soothingly. “One, two, three and breathe.”

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before releasing it. When she commanded him to do it two more times, he did.

“Tell me first what happened to Louise.” She murmured gently. “Slowly and carefully.”

“She was on the stage when it collapsed underneath her…….Everything on the stage was on top of her……” He felt his vision start to blur. “……The security wouldn’t let us in…..I knocked security over so I could get to her……I heard Dan calling for her and I saw that he was crying…..Mum, I thought-”

Emily could hear the tears in his voice and it tore at her that this was the second time she had failed to be by his side. “Finish telling me what happened.”

“…..She was alive and we all pulled the stuff off of her.” He sniffled and tried to calm himself. “She asked for Darcy and I told her I left her with Zoe.”

“So she was conscious?” She sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

“Yeah, we’re at the A&E right now. Mum, I can’t lose her. I shouldn’t. Right? She’s awake and she can feel her toes and stuff, right?”

“If she’s conscious then there’s a good chance she’ll be fine.” She reassured as best she could. “Caspar, where is Louise’s daughter now?”

“With Zoe, but I know they’re coming here soon.”

“Okay, this is what you’re going to do until they come…..”

“Okay.”

“First you need to calm down. If that little girl comes in and sees that you are upset, she will get upset. Unless you have solid news about Louise, don’t give her a reason to worry. Second, make sure Louise’s family has been contacted, they need to know where she is. Third, gather as much information as you can and if you see her, be gentle, she might be confused. She’s going to need you. You’re strong and capable, Caspar; don’t let the panic eat you.”

He nodded and did his best to steady his nerves, then started to work.

Not having Louise’s family’s number, he quickly contacted Maddy who fortunately had the foresight to call them already and informed him that they were leaving Northampton as soon as possible.

Someone asked him to fill out her paperwork which he did the best he could, but the minute he saw the door open to where she was, he snuck in.

Louise looked anxious and tear-eyed, with a thin tube across her nose and IV tubes up her arm. Knowing how she felt about being in an unknown area, Caspar quickly reached her side and held her hands in his. She gripped them with all her strength.

“I can’t take a breath.” She squeaked, her voice sounding hoarse from crying, most likely.

“Slowly, don’t cry. I’m here.” He murmured into her ear.

“I want my home, I want my bed, I want….” She choked a bit, “…..blanket….”

Caspar knew the little blanket she spoke of was in her purse and in Maddy’s care. He wedged himself on the bed and moved Louise’s arms around him until her hands clutched his jacket. Delicately, he pulled her close to him and murmured in her ear.

“Just close your eyes and hold onto me. I’m not leaving.” He reassured her. “You’re safe. I won’t let anything here hurt you.”

“You smell sweaty.” She hiccupped, but didn’t let go. Underneath his sweat was the familiar scent of Caspar: his cologne, soap, detergent and the natural musk that she knew so well. Though he was not her blanket, he was something her mind associated with safety and comfort so she started to calm down.

He felt her soften against him and tried to distract her further. “Hey Louise? Remember my job by the beach in Louise-Land? Do I still work there?”

 She smiled faintly at her mind went to her fantasy land. “No, you got promoted to my prince charming.”

Caspar grinned against her ear and chuckled. “There’s a pay raise in that, right?”

“Yes, and everyone is insanely jealous of your good luck.” She murmured, beginning to breath.

“They should be.”

They stayed quietly in each other’s arms, waiting for the doctor, the nurse and their friends to arrive.

* * *

 

In summary: Dan pulled a muscle in his left arm and dislocated two of his fingers while grabbing onto the curtains for dear life. Phil sustained a bruised tailbone when he landed hard on the metal stairs. Sarah, the MC, suffered a concussion, a broken right arm and a large, bleeding gash on one of her legs. As for Louise…..

“…..Mild head trauma, requiring ten stitches. Minor concussion. Three cracked ribs on the right side of her body. Bruised lung. Superficial cuts over her body; none require stitches. Large bruising over the left side of her body.” The doctor read off to her and the entire gang.

A lot of them breathed a sigh of relief when nothing truly fatal was mentioned.

“Can my Mummy take this off now?” Darcy asked pointing to the nasal cannula from her perch beside Louise, because yes, she might be sore from head to toe, but nothing was going to keep her from comforting her daughter.

“I need to make sure your mum has plenty of oxygen. I’m sure it will come off by tomorrow.” The doctor promised the young girl with a warm smile.

Darcy nodded her head in approval.

Once the doctor was gone, everyone started talking.

“How are you feeling chummy?” Zoe asked, studying the stitches.

“Like I got bowled over by a car.” Louise sighed. “Does it look bad?”

“No, it’ll be lost in your hair when it heals.” She assured.

“I want to take a large breath, but it hurts.” Louise whined.

“Just try to relax.” Alfie said. “You’re gonna be tired for a few weeks.”

“Jesus.” Joe said as some of them crowded around his phone.

“You’re not recording this are you??” Zoe said, aghast.

“No, someone posted the video of the stage collapsing.”

Suddenly they all pulled out their phones to find the video. Darcy demanded to see, but no one dared.

The whole collapse took less than a minute, but the chaos that occurred was terrifying. Louise briefly looked and was glad the stage wasn’t any higher. Caspar, who had been on the other side of her the whole time, buried a kiss in her hair.

Dan, his arm in a sling with splints on his fingers, and Phil, complaining about having a literal pain in the butt, came shortly after and the whole group fell to fussing over them. The usually reserved pair were grateful for their friends, but their main focus was Louise who was very dear to them and they lavished hugs and friendly kisses on her cheek that brought her to tears.

They whole group hung around and soon they made a rough schedule of who will visit Louise when and what time. Who would bring what and who would contact whom. Soon Louise’s father and sister arrived and the rest decided to go back to their hotels for much needed rest. Matt had called not too long after to say he was coming to pick up Darcy. She didn’t want to leave her mother, but everyone agreed that it was for the best for now. Caspar gave Louise a kiss, uncaring of who saw them, and promised to return once Darcy was safe with her father.

* * *

 

Matt had never thought he’d be in such an awkward situation, but it didn’t matter, he was just grateful that no one had been hurt. Upon entering Caspar Lee’s flat, his Darcy quickly threw her arms around him and started telling him what had happened to Louise. Caspar was quiet through the entire exchange and only spoke when Darcy went to get her suitcase and backpack.

He remembered Caspar Lee as the young boy from years ago who had flirted so shamelessly with his ex wife. The blonde would have his arms completely thrown around her and had no problems demanding hugs and cuddles. While there was still a boyish charm to the blonde’s handsome face it was tempered with age and intelligence.

“Thank you for watching over Darcy……and Louise.”

“It’s kind of my job now.” He replied. “If I want to keep Louise in my life, Darcy and you are part of the picture, which I don’t have a problem with.”

Matt was surprised by his inclusion and Caspar smiled.

“My parents were divorced and remarried, which means I have tons of step relatives. I know what it takes and I’m not scared.” He said. “Darcy’s the best and I hope if this relationship goes really well, maybe we can be friends.”

Caspar stuck his hand out towards Matt who was amazed by his keen insight and understanding. Slowly he took the hand and shook it.

“I’d like that too.”

“Daddy, I want to see mummy at the hospital.” Darcy announced as she rolled her suitcase behind her.

“One thing at a time. First we’ll get you home for some sleep.” Matt said, taking her hand. “Now say good-bye to Caspar.”

“Bye Caspar! Tell me how mum is doing!” She said waving him off.

He smiled and waved back. “I will, promise.”

* * *

 

Caspar showered and changed before heading back to the hospital. He desperately wanted a nap, but knew he wouldn’t get a wink without Louise. His phone was beeping like crazy. No doubt his management was reminding him of engagements he was currently missing back at the convention, but he didn’t give a fuck. He found Louise and her father snoozing; him on a cot and her in her bed. He snuck in quietly and sat down on the bed beside her. Upon grasping her hand, she awoke.

“Obviously.” She said with a sudden smile. “I do not recall having a wedding.”

Caspar broke out into a wide grin. “I had to get on that ambulance. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, however on my paperwork it does say Louise Pentland Lee.”

Caspar smothered a laugh, a blush reaching to his ears.

“Had to explain to my dad that, no, I did not go off and elope with you, but that yes, I am dating you and have been for a few months. He wants to talk with you by the way.”

“Wow, this relationship is moving quite nicely, isn’t it? He won’t hurt me?”

She rolled her eyes. “My dad? Hardly.”

“I talked to Matt. I thought he’d want to say something to me about all those times I use to flirt with you when you were married, but he was cool. Told him I hoped we could be friends.”

“Oh Caspy, that was so sweet of you.” Louise stroked his face and he rubbed against her hand. “Where did that little boy go?”

“You wanted a man, not a boy.” Caspar murmured back.

“I suppose, but sometimes I miss the little boy.” She admitted, then added, “But I do love the man.”

Caspar’s eyes lit up. “You love me?”

Louise, who had been fighting her affections for him realized that somewhere along the way it was too late to fight. “Yes. The boy and the man.”

The months and months and months of work was suddenly and completely and utterly worth it. “I love you.” He said back before kissing her.

She was already breathless, but it was his kiss that made her head spin. She tunneled her fingers through his soft, spikey hair as he gently pinned her back on her upraised bed.

“Ahem.”

They looked over to the left to see Louise’s father, Steve, observing them with a bemused expression. “There is a time and a place for all this.”

Caspar rubbed his lips together before offering a winning smile. “Nice to meet you Mr. Pentland.”

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Lee. May we talk?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked a bit of danger. I wrestled with finding a plausible danger a Youtuber could go through at conventions. A collapse from an elevated stage sounded just right. I learned somewhere that Caspar once saved someone from a shark in South Africa, so I know that if someone he loves is hurting, he will probably dive in to save them. Now I know that Dan's nature is to avoid drama and action, but I truly believe that if Louise or Phil were hurt, he'd be in there helping as well. Comment if you like. :-)


	15. Careful Now; Steady On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the recovery, and other shenanigans, begin!

Caspar survived his first real conversation with a protective father and came out fairly unscathed. The fact that he was concerned about getting Louise up and around won him a few bonus points.

The meet-up came and went with much media frenzy over the safety of stages. Louise was touched by the number of tweets and messages she was receiving from concerned fans. She managed to shoot a quick video thanking them and was amazed by the comments.

The doctors released her, but recommended that she stay close by which meant she could not go back to Northampton. She still needed to carry on her business, but the idea of traveling back and forth with cracked ribs and bruised lung was not something appealing. Therefore, it only made sense that she stayed with Caspar.

She already had some stuff at his place, but knew she’d need more. Caspar, Tiana and Maddy, Louise’s sister and her assistant, decided to make the trek to her house and gather some stuff for her.

Tiana was a mostly quiet person who kept her thoughts to herself, but as they moved around the house filling up a suitcase, she couldn’t help but speak to this guy who’s practically bent over backwards for her sister.

“Why aren’t you dating someone your own age?” She asked bluntly.

Caspar was thrown a bit off guard by her question. Maddy had been the one through the trip chattering about this and that while Tiana had been silent and observant. He wasn’t quite sure how to approach the dark-haired beauty, but decided if she was going to ask a direct question, then he was going to give her a direct answer.

“Because age doesn’t matter to me.” He replied. “And because I want Louise.”

“You took your time. Why didn’t you date her sooner?”

He shrugged. “Because I didn’t appreciate her then and I probably wouldn’t have treated her like she ought to be. I’m ready now.”

“I hope so.” She said as Maddy handed her some garments. “Because if you’re not I’m going to make you sorry you ever messed with the Pentlands.”

He wanted to smile at her gumption, but understood the need to be protective over a sibling and nodded.

“I don’t plan on hurting her.” He promised, then added hesitantly. “She told me about what happened.”

Tiana doesn’t exactly enjoy talking about the topic, even though it shaped her and Louise’s life. “Yeah?”

“No one deserves that. Not anyone, especially not Louise.” Caspar said, wishing he could give some proof of his word, but he’d never, ever had to deal with something so terrible and his own naivety was frustrating. “I’m not the smartest man in the world and sometimes I can be an impulsive little shit, but I’m trying hard with Louise. I’ve never tried this hard, you can ask my mum and sister.”

“You don’t like hard work?” Tiana asked. Maddy could be heard shuffling in the background.

He shrugged. “Not if I’m not good at it. When I don’t feel like I’m getting better at something I have a history of quitting……Louise and I are kinda odd for each other, but I wanted to give it a try and so far I’ve really liked it. More than liked it. She’s really important to me.” Caspar felt himself rambling and closed his eyes in frustration. “I lost someone I loved last year and it was the worst feeling in my life. That stage collapse was right up there with that.” He sighed heavily. “Sorry, I talk too much.”

“No, it’s fine……and, um, thank you.” She added quietly. “For taking care of her.”

He shrugged. “It’s not hard to care when you love someone.”

“Awww! Caspar that’s so sweet.” Maddy said, hand over her heart. “When did you get so romantic?”

He grinned sheepishly, pleased.

Tiana faintly smiled back and gave him a small nod. He straightened, feeling a small sense of triumph.

* * *

 

Meanwhile back in London, Louise was contemplating killing Marcus who was encouraging her to walk around the flat instead of sitting down which is what she really wanted to do.

“Marcus, you’re a dick.” She sighed when she finally put her foot down and sat herself on the sofa.

“The doctor told you staying on the bed would not help your ribs.” He countered.

“I had a _stage_ on me, Marcus. Show a little pity.”

“Don’t remind me. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen.” He said. “You really don’t remember falling in?”

“Mm, no. It’s a blank. One minute I’m on the stage, the next I’m staring at Dan and Caspar’s face. I keep watching the video and I can’t believe I didn’t hurt worse. I mean, thank God not, but still I can’t remember falling in.”

“Probably for the best really.” Alfie said coming back from the bathroom. “The way people were screaming and yelling it just would’ve scared you.”

“I’m just glad that security cleared the room as fast as they did. Don’t need people recording it.”

Louise made herself comfortable on the sofa. “That brings up a question. How did you guys get passed security? Did they just recognize you guys and let you in?”

“Pfft, no. They were going to leave us out as well. The only reason we got in was because of Caspar.” Alfie replied plopping himself down on the other end of the sofa.

Marcus smiled as he recalled it. “Yeah, he plowed through the security guard.”

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “What?? How? Tell me everything!”

Alfie straightened, excited to tell the story. “Well we all heard the noise and went to investigate when we saw Caspar running over to the doors with Darcy tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. We got there and Marcus and I were trying to negotiate with the security guard when we heard Phil yelling for help.”

Marcus snapped his fingers. “Yeah, yeah, he said something like _Louise needs help!_ Or something like that and Caspar sort of cracked a bit.”

“Yeah, he gave Darcy to Zoe and before he finished talking he turned and mowed the guy down like a rugby player. We took the opportunity and ran in and started helping you guys get out.”

“I-I’m so amazed by you guys came through and helped. You guys are the best. And Caspar….” She sighed, so surprised by the fervor of his actions. “I don’t know what to think about Caspar. He’s become someone so very, very special to me.”

“Well it’s obvious that you’re someone special to him. He’s not a forceful guy, you know, and he looked like he was going clear that stage himself just to find you.” Marcus said.

Alfie leaned back and sighed at a satisfying pop. “He lied just to get in the ambulance with you. Caspar and Louise Lee; how does that sound?”

Louise covered her face at the thought. “Oh Alfie, too soon. Way too soon for that. We just told each I love you for the first time at the hospital. I’m certainly not pressuring him for a ring!”

“Yeah, alright, you won’t hear anything from me about the subject.” He said with his familiar smile.

“It would be hypocritical of you.” Marcus said slyly, chucking a pillow at him.

She watched them get goofy and smiled, pleased that they can distract each other so she can muse about her Caspar and the amazing way their relationship has formed.

* * *

 

Soon they were all reunited again and Louise gladly took her stuff. They hung around for dinner before leaving them be.  They had briefly discussed her sleeping in the guest room, but then they decided that separation was not pleasing so she happily stayed in their room.

He had just fluffed the pillow and tucked her behind her when she took advantage by tugging his shirt down and giving him a deep kiss. Caspar moaned appreciatively before pulling back.

“What was that for?”

“For coming to my rescue. Alfie and Marcus told me what you did in order to get me.” She revealed, caressing his cheek.

He sat himself on the edge of the bed and leaned against her touch. “I’m not a violent person.”

“I know. I can’t even imagine what I’d do if it was you.” She stroked his face and marveled at the way his face just melted to her touch. “You mean a lot to me, Caspar Lee.”

“I love you too.” He said, then sighed, his gaze tender. “When I saw Dan crying I thought the worst and then I couldn’t think at all. All I thought was _not again, please not again_.”

Louise frowned, confused, then realization dawned. She pulled him close and kissed him again. This time it lingered and she felt the tears coming but held them back, until she looked into his eyes and noticed that they glimmered as well.

How could she not love this man? This sweet, sweet man.

* * *

 

Caspar liked to think that he had proven himself to be a dependable chap, especially in the weeks that it took for Louise to recuperate. He’d never have to take care of some this ill before, hangovers were the worst he ever dealt with, but he did his best to make sure Louise was safe and content in their little flat. He knew he annoyed her to no end when it came to getting out the bed to exercise or using the spirometer, it was a battle of wills, but he was determined. She was embarrassed to no end when it came for asking help for the bathroom those first few days, but those aides were brief. Sometimes Maddy or Hazel or another of their friends would show up, which was wonderfully helpful. Making sure Louise was seen to, Caspar would then step out and get some work done, or get stuff for the house or catch a breather with friends. By the tail end of it all, he was exhausted and slept hard, but regardless of how tough it was or how irritated they’d become, she was healing nicely and that meant everything.

During her final week of recovery, they had the pleasure of Darcy staying for the weekend. When Louise and Maddy went to the hospital for her check-up and Darcy was not in the mood to be sitting in a waiting room, he stepped up and offered to keep an eye on her for a little while.

It was fine in the beginning. They edited a few videos and she became familiar with his video equipment which was much more impressive than the stuff she had at home. Things got a little more interesting when Joe and Josh came to hang out.

Throughout their relationship, Caspar had kept his friends apart from Louise and her daughter if only because they lacked a filter and he didn’t want Louise, and especially Darcy, to hear anything inappropriate.

Joe was instantly charming, as he was with most females. “My word, Darcy. I haven’t seen you in ages. Look at you! All grown up.”

Darcy perked up and preened at Joe, then she noticed Josh and her eyes widened slightly as she had to look up and up at him. “Do you play basketball?” She blurted out.

Josh looked at Caspar who only gave him a cheeky grin. “Uh, not really. I prefer football.”

“I got hit in the face with a football at school.” She replied. “My nose bled.”

“Bet your Mum didn’t enjoy that.” Said Joe. “So what are you doing today, Darcy?”

Darcy shook her head. “I’m editing a video with something Caspar put in my laptop.”

“Planning to be like your mum, eh?” Josh asked, getting more comfortable.

The little girl shrugged. “I want to learn how to make videos. Mummy said that one day I can edit one of her videos and put it on Youtube. I was gonna do the video with Mum, Dan and Phil but then the accident happened. Are you going to make a video now?”

The men looked at each other. “No, they just came to visit.” Caspar said.

Darcy’s shoulders slumped, having been secretly hoping to watch something interesting. “Oh.”

Caspar had, by this point in his relationship with Louise, obviously become very fond of Darcy and disliked disappointing her, so he looked at his friends, then her and his tripod that was standing conveniently close by and had a funny idea.

* * *

 

Louise was pleased with the results of her visit and was anxious to get back home to Caspar and Darcy. When she got there, she was surprised by what she was greeted with.

Darcy was sat over to one side, holding some note cards while Josh, Joe and Caspar where having an argument about what a proper peanut butter sandwich should be.

She beamed at her mother and waved. “Hello Mummy! I’m doing an interview!”

Suddenly all the guys stopped arguing and turned to look at Louise. They hadn’t exactly asked permission to use her daughter for a video and were a touch anxious about her reaction.

Louise was all kinds of confused and cocked her head at them. “What’s this about?”

“New collab idea.” Caspar explained as he rose to give her a kiss. “Kid Q&A. Darcy made up some questions and we have to answer them.”

She instinctively returned the kiss, mildly amused. “I see. It would’ve been nice if you had _asked_ if you could borrow my daughter for your video.”

“It was a last-minute idea.” He replied, putting all the boyish charm he had into a smile. “We were going to show it to you to see if you liked it before putting it on Youtube.”

“Your boyfriend is mental.” Said Josh, leaning back on his chair. “He thinks bananas and peanut butter is normal.”

“I said it sounds delicious!” Caspar countered. “What about you and your butter and honey? What are you, eighty??”

“I think there’s only one way to solve this.” Joe said and turned to Darcy. “Feel like peanut butter and jelly for lunch?”

Darcy perked up and grinned. “Can we? Can we have sandwiches, Mummy? Please?”

Four pairs of eyes pleaded with her and she wondered how she got into this mess. She went to get her ribs checked and came home to some peanut butter drama. “I was hoping for some salad, but I guess peanut butter sandwiches it is.”

Everyone cheered.

* * *

 

The day ended well. Darcy didn’t get sick sampling the different peanut butter sandwich variations and unsurprisingly, Nutella sandwiches were the best. She now slept peacefully in her room while her mum and her boyfriend were safely ensconced in their room on the other side.

“Darcy’s a natural on camera.” Caspar commented as he edited the video while sitting in bed.

Louise hummed in the bathroom. “She’s been on camera since she was a baby.”

“Think she’ll start a Youtube channel someday?”

“I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to push her into it. It will be her choice.” She said coming out while smoothing some oil up her arms and over her neck. Caspar eyed her appreciatively.

“Do you have to wear the shirt tonight?”

Louise, who had been in the process of putting on her nightwear, smiled at him. “You’d rather I not?”

“Yes.” He said, then asked, “What did the doctor say?”

“She said that my ribs seem to be in order, that I could return to normal activities, but not too aggressively.”  She said as she abandoned her pajama shirt on the table beside the bed and climbed in. She slipped between the sheets and her hand rested on Caspar’s thigh before sliding up and carefully grasping the length of him firmly.  

This got his attention immediately. He set the laptop aside and reached for her. “Not too aggressive?”

“Gentle.” She emphasized as he got closer and their lips met for a moist kiss. “You can be gentle, can’t you?”

He nuzzled her cheek and admired the fine shimmer and softness to her skin. She was glowing and the faint aroma of vanilla lingered with her natural scent. “You planned this, didn’t you?” He realized, then he moaned when she stroked him a little more decisively.

“Come here.” She murmured, kissing him enticingly. “I’ve missed you.”

They made love that night. Slow, steady and comforting; their hands intertwined above their heads as hips slowly surged, meet, drew apart and repeated the steps again. She gasped his name breathlessly as she came. He let out a gut deep groan of satisfaction.

They slept contently that night.

* * *

 

Gleam threw a beautiful party to conclude the round of conventions they had to attend. Louise was eager to go since she wanted to show off her full recovery. Caspar was keen to show off his girlfriend, which was quite flattering.

Before they would be in separate rooms, but this time Caspar insisted that they share a room together. Louise questioned his fervent need to room together when before during conventions it was a non-issue.

“Gleam always gives Zalfie a room together. This year it’s Laspar’s turn.”

He was so fiercely proud of their relationship and made sure everyone knew that they were together. She was somewhere between embarrassed and humored throughout the entire day. People complimented them on their cuteness.

At one point, she had the pleasure of having a conversation with the Sugg siblings about it.

“I’m so glad you’re better, chummy.” Zoe said sipping her drink.

“Me too. I thought it would be nice to be in bed all the time, but no. Boring as hell.” Louise said, toeing her shoes off. “Caspar did his best. He tried to teach me chess, dear love, but I’m rubbish at it. Darcy’s much better at it then I am.”

“Darcy likes him, eh?” Joe asked snuggling into a corner of the sofa next to her.

“They’re very fond of each other and I’m so happy that they do because I love them both so much.”

“Aww! Chummy IS in love.”

Louise blushed and brushed her fingers through her hair. “Deeply. He loves me too. He tells me, but I see it in his eyes. He’s so happy.”

“No surprise.” Joe said. “You do know you are the longest relationship he’s had? He’s so proud of himself. You can’t blame him for running around eager to show you off.”

She never considered herself someone to be shown off, but she liked that Caspar thought so. “He’s something of an eye candy up at home. Caspar just cannot keep his shirt on and the ladies of the neighborhood are entirely too appreciative.”

They laughed.

“So you haven’t received any real problems?” Zoe asked.

“No, not really. I’m not the first woman to date a younger man, but I am the first in my neighborhood to make it work. Some of the mums at Darcy’s school might look at me funny and I heard of a betting pool for how long it will last which is in terrible taste.” She wrinkled her nose.

Zoe lifted her drink. “This one will last, I know it. Caspar loves you 100% and you do too.”

The implications of a forever with Caspar was clear but she dared not voice it. “It’s far too soon to say, but I am definitely positive about it.”

“Just keep taking care of each other, right? He’s impulsive and you’re tender hearted.” Joe advised. “Just make sure you recognize that in each other.”

Louise eyed him. “You’re very mindful of us, aren’t you Joe? When did you get so caring?”

“You two are my friends and I want to see you guys happy.”

“Aw, Joseph.” She said, reaching out to stroke his cheek. “I’d say Hashtag Jouise, but it would just get Caspar’s green eye flaring.”

Joe raised a finger. “Oh, we hashed that conversation out early. He is so jealous that I have more thumbnails with you and the cheek kisses.”

“Oh those kisses were harmless!” Zoe protested.

“Tell that to him!” Joe countered, grinning. “I promised him that any chance of me hooking up with Louise has long since passed.”

“Joseph! You had a crush on me?” Louise said, touched.

“Eh, maybe just a little bit.” He admitted, pinching a space between his forefinger and thumb. “You look prettier with age.”

“Such a gentleman.” Louise said before leaning over to give him a big hug which he happily reciprocated.

“Hey, hey, hey! Hands off my girlfriend!” Caspar suddenly announced. Zoe giggled wickedly, watching as he squirmed himself between them on the sofa and threw an arm around Louise. “You had your chance.”

Joe cackled and the girls giggled.

Later, when the music got slower, Caspar talked her into slow dancing with him, which had a danger to it considering that he had massive feet and poor coordination, but he wanted to be romantic and she liked it when he was.

“You don’t really think that Joe would ever try anything with me, do you?” She asked him, stroking his cheek.

Caspar shook his head. “No, I trust him, but I know he’s better than me when it comes to girls. He’s known you for years and treated you nice. I get intimidated.”

“Caspy, no, don’t think like that. I’m with you, not with him.” She reassured him. “You treat me nice too and you can be so sweet and gentle.” She leaned closer. “You’re the one who I want touching me tonight.”

The alluring jade shimmer in her eyes hid nothing and Caspar’s heart thudded against his chest. Forgetting everyone, he kissed her gently.

“Oi! Get a room you two!” Alfie hooted out with a wicked grin.

Caspar, never breaking the kiss, extended his arm out towards him and flipped the bird, which only resulted in more laughter.

They end up taking his advice though, and going back to their suite. The _Do Not Disturb_ sign was met with a lot of chuckles and dirty humor, but no one dared bother them.

That morning as they reluctantly got up to prepared to pack for check out, Caspar got a text from his sister.

**Hey, it’s been quiet. Everything going well?**

Caspar looked over at Louise who was dabbing some perfume on herself and smiled. **_Everything is great._**

**She’s recovered?**

**_Yup. She’s fine, beautiful and she’s mine_ **

**Oh dear, sounds like you have it bad.**

**_What?_ **

**Lovebug**

**_Yeah I do but you know what’s cool? She loves ME!_ **

**God knows why *winky face***

**_Shut up! You’re just jealous that everything is perfect_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo sleepy! Good Night!


	16. To Err is Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoke too soon, Caspar dear

When Caspar moved into his temporary home in Los Angeles he was filled with dismay and felt so alone in the empty house. He worked hard for any opportunities and when a guest role popped up for a Netflix series he was ready and eager to get into acting again. The only problem was that the job required him to stay in Los Angeles for two months, possibly more in case of delays. He couldn’t wait to tell Louise.

He had told her over the phone about the opportunity and was stung when she didn’t reply with immediate enthusiasm.

“Two to three months?” She sighed. “I’d see you in December. At least for a little bit until you go to your family.”

“You can come and visit.” He suggested. “Maybe you can stay with me for a month.”

“I’ve never been away from Darcy for that long and I can’t bear the idea of her riding a plane alone, I just can’t.”

“I know I will miss you like crazy, but I-I really want to do this.” He said, hating the idea that she won’t come to see him.

Louise herself split in two. One part of her mind refused to consent to this change, the other, wiser side knew better. “And you should do this. I don’t want to hold you back. I’ll just…..I’ll just miss you. We’ve only been a few days apart and the idea of _months_ is just scary.”

“Then come visit me. I would love to show you L.A. I’ve lived there before!” He said eagerly.

Louise had been to L.A. before and loved the city life, but the familiar fear got the best of her. “I-I’ll think about it.”

She was letting her fears get to her and usually Caspar was patient. “Louise I’ll be there with you. I’ll let nothing happen.”

“Don’t pressure me, Caspar, it doesn’t help.”

“Being scared of every new change doesn’t help either.” He countered.

“Caspar I’m not holding you back. You can go to L.A.”

“But I’d like to go knowing my girlfriend is eager to be with me there for a little while or at least be happy for me!”

“I am happy for you, Caspar, but this is hard for me. I don’t like sudden changes! Please understand!”

Caspar sighed heavily. “I do. I do understand. I’m going to miss you and I didn’t think about the fact that even if I finish early I’d probably head back to South Africa before seeing you.” His eyes widen. “Why don’t you come down to South Africa for Christmas?”

“What? Caspar! No! I’m not ready!” She protested.

“Not ready for what? My family?” He asked, confused. “They’d love you! I’ve been talking non-stop about you to my mum and sis and knowing them, they’ve probably told the whole family.”

The very idea of meeting his large family in unfamiliar territory broke her mind. “No, no, Caspar. I’m not ready. It’s too much, too soon and I can’t.”

“What do you expect me to say to the family when they ask for you? I’m sorry my girlfriend is too chicken shit to come see you?” He blurted out in irritation. “Stop being so difficult!”

“I don’t want to be difficult!” She almost shouted. “I can’t, I just can’t yet!”

“ _I’ve_ made the effort with your family! _I’ve_ made the effort with your friends!” He argued. “When are you going to make an effort with mine?”

“I won’t just cancel on Darcy-”

“Am I _telling_ you to do that? Stop using her as a crutch, for fuck’s sake!”

“Shut up, Caspar and go to L.A.!” Louise snapped, her voice rough with tears. “And maybe find yourself someone young and blonde who you can take home to your mum!”

Louise hung up the phone before he could protest. Did he just get dumped? The very idea frightened him and he tried to call her back, but she wouldn’t reply. He wanted to take the train to Northampton and demand that they talk it out, but time wouldn’t let him. Too soon, he had to pack his things and move to L.A. He talked to Joe, describing their argument and begged him to keep an eye on Louise.

Joe listened patiently and said simply. “Yeah, looks like you both screwed up. Just give her time; that’s all she needs.”

Caspar took his advice and let her be, except once he arrived in L.A. he sent off one text message.

**_Don’t shut me out forever #Laspar4Life_ **

Every day he waited for her to respond and every morning when he saw no response he felt himself hurt a little more. He threw himself into the movie, working himself to the bone until he’d end up back to the house tired. If he had a day off, he’d try to collaborate with the L.A. Youtubers and if he could drink, he would. He did his best to be amongst friends if he got wasted. The sight of all the girls in the club only made him angry and he avoided them.

Over and over again, he’d replay the fight, kicking himself for being so aggressive. He knew she would not be pushed and he was so eager to keep her with him that he didn’t exercise patience. A fine, mature man he was, acting like a spoiled child who didn’t get his way. When he talked to his friends, he put up a good front, except for Joe, who could smell bullshit a mile away. At one weak moment, he cried while they were Skyping, then made Joe promise he wouldn’t tell anyone about it. Joe promised he wouldn’t, but internally, he’d had enough.

* * *

 

She spent the first night crying, angry at him and herself. This was their first major fight and it went south fast. He had pushed too hard and she had lashed out to protect herself; an old defense she used from her younger days. Every time he texted or called she wanted to pick up the phone, but she was filled with fear. From her own mouth she told him to find someone else and she was scared that he would do just that. The wiser part of her told her she was being foolish, Caspar was not some shallow horn dog that followed the will of his dick and had shown his absolute commitment to her. The other, smaller part of her, however, reminded her again of their age, of their differences and the fact that he was currently far away from her in a city full of gorgeous, willing women.

But then there was his last text message that she looked at every morning. **_#Laspar4Life_**. She wanted to write it back. More. She wanted to go to him and tell him she was sorry for dismissing him so cruelly or for making the separation worse by not responding to him. The bed was dismal without him and she ached for his touch. Darcy would innocently ask for him and it was all she could do not to burst into tears. Every day she did nothing she knew it was making it worse.

Around the four-week mark she finally broke down and called Zoe, sobbing her pain out to her.

“Chummy, just go to him.”

“W-What if he doesn’t want me there anymore?”

“Of course he wants you there! He was begging for you to come with him!”

“I wasn’t ready when he asked. I was so scared.”

“I know Chummy, I know. He shouldn’t have been so harsh.”

“I told him to find someone younger and blonder.”

“He wouldn’t. He’s not that stupid.” Zoe said firmly. “Oh please call him. Don’t let this last for so long. You’re miserable and he’s probably miserable too. It was just a stupid fight.”

“It WAS a stupid fight. So stupid.” Louise hiccupped. “You’re right. I should at least call him. Soon.”

“Right now, Chummy.”

“Yes.”

In Zoe’s clever little mind however, she knew her friend and she suspected that Louise was hedging and needed a little push in the right direction, so after she was done Face Timing, she made a quick phone call to someone just as clever as her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Zoe save the day? Will Louise call her man?? Does anyone else hate the sight of Caspar crying???
> 
> Sorry it's short. I've been having a busy week.


	17. To Forgive, Divine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Count on the Suggs to get shit done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, rough sex ahead.

Two days had passed since Louise talked to Zoe and a month and two weeks since she spoke to Caspar. Every day was becoming a nightmare with her mind and nerves fraying. Her hand trembled as she held the phone and looked at the message; her finger dancing over the SEND button as she looked at her message again and again.

Suddenly a knock on her door jarred her, causing her phone to fall. Sighing heavily, she bent down to pick it up and went to answer the door.

She was not expecting Joe Sugg at her door. She especially not expecting one who looked pretty irate and shoved a tablet at her.

“I told you guys to take care of each other and you’re both fucking up. Watch this now.”

Before she could say anything, a video started at the sight of Caspar in tears addressing Joe. He talked about not wanting to lose her, of his stupidity, of his misery in L.A. and how he was afraid to send her any message since she hadn’t responded to him. Every time the days slipped by, he felt more and more alone. As usual, the sight of Caspar in tears brought forth her own and she hugged the tablet close, wishing to be with him.

Joe, never one with bedside manners, thrust something else in her face. “Here, the plane leaves tomorrow morning. All I could get was a red eye.”

“Joe?” She murmured slowly talking the ticket from his hand.

He shoved his hands in his pocket and shrugged. “Zoe sent me. We put two and two together. Don’t worry about Darcy; we talked to Matt and has everything covered.”

“But my meetings-”

“I told them you had an emergency in the States.” He waved his hand dismissively. “You got a week to make it better and you owe me for the ticket.”

Louise could not believe what she’d seen and had been told. She couldn’t speak, so all she could do was throw her arms around Joe, give him a kiss on his cheek and run up the stairs to pack.

Where did her fear go? It was still there, but now she was spurred on to go and hold her lover tight and fix the stupid mess they made. After she hastily notified her neighbors she’d be gone, assured her daughter and cats’ safety, and rushed out to catch the train back to London with Joe, she quickly pressed SEND on her phone.

A thousand miles away Caspar poked at his lunch when he saw his phone beep. The sight of Louise’s name filled him with hope and dread. He almost didn’t want to open it, but he couldn’t bear the pressure. He opened the message.

**_#LASPAR4LIFE_ **

She loved him. It wasn’t over. Caspar smiled, he laughed in sheer relief and he even kissed his phone, which drew some odd stares from the crew, but he didn’t care.

“Must be one hell of a message.” One of his cast mates said. “You’re practically glowing!”

“It’s a great day.” Caspar replied as he proceeded to send every heart and kiss emoji he could find and send it to her.

* * *

 

When Louise arrived in Los Angeles the knot of worry returned. It was early in the evening and she didn’t even know if he was home. Sure enough, he wasn’t and Louise was left to sit outside the steps of his house. It was rather embarrassing and the driver offered to take her to the nearest hotel. She was beginning to regret not taking his offer as 8 o’clock rolled around.

She was starting to grow nervous when a car finally came up to the house. She hurried up to her feet just in time to see Caspar come out of the car wincing at the phone.

“Okay, I’m home now! Calm down Joe, what’s the-” He glanced up and saw her and almost dropped his phone. “Bye Joe! Yes, I see her, Bye!”

He slammed the car door and approached her. Immediately she began to babble.

“I’m sorry, I’m such a fucking coward. I shouldn’t have said that to you but in my defen-” The words were cut off by Caspar’s mouth slamming into hers.

There was nothing sweet nor gentle about this kiss. It was hard, angry and desperate. His arms clutched her tightly to him and the hold he had on her bum was scandalous. She held him tight, her nails digging into his coat.

A loud honk from the car sounded, but they ignored it. It honked again and Caspar turned and dismissed it. Finally, the car made the turn to leave and Caspar dragged her up to the door, still kissing her.

She followed his lips, anxious with pleasure. There was an art form to unlocking the front door while trying to undress your lover and they hadn’t mastered it completely. Yet finally the door was opened and Caspar dragged her and her luggage in before slamming the door shut and attacking her clothes.

Louise ripped off his jacket and he tore the buttons off her cardigan. She shredded the collar of his shirt while getting it off him. He utterly destroyed her dress in his frantic need to get her naked and underneath him. She shivered and gasped when he pulled her down on the rug in the living room. The sound of his belt being unbuckled and his zipper lowering made her moan and she pulled him down on her hard enough to make them both gasp.

In the darkness, she could not find his lips and mouthed his jawline as his hips slid with practiced precision between her thighs. “Oh God! Caspar!”

There was nothing tender or sweet about it. He pounded, he bruised and he claimed. Caspar had feared losing her, only to have her now in his arms and he hadn’t had her in over a month. His hips piston vigorously and his muscles bunched and flexed with exertion. He could feel her own wild desires, velvet-soft and moist around him as she raked his back and her legs clamped him tight. Her hands fisted his hair painfully tight and pulled his mouth over hers. Their teeth clashed and their tongues met. It was obscene, it was delicious. Neither wanted it to end.

Louise was swimming in the heat of Caspar’s skin, in the scent of their sex and the sounds of their pleasure was sin. He had always been vocal, but this was the first time he truly roared as he drove himself deep inside her and she, clamping around him tight, could only mewl in response as her ecstasy spread like warm butter over her body. She collapsed back on the rug; the world darkening around her eyes.

Caspar buried his face against her throat and stayed there, refusing to move even when she nudged him. “I’m sorry.” He murmured against her skin.

“I’m sorry too.” She whispered, stroking his damp, trembling back. “I won’t ever let a fight drag so long ever again.”

“I won’t ever push you when you’re not ready.” He replied, kissing her shoulder. “I’ve missed you so damn much. I didn’t realize how much until right now.”

“I’ve missed you too. I love you.” She urged him to look at her and she gently kissed him. “I love you, Caspar Lee and I’ll fight any woman to keep you.”

He smiled, pleased with her possessiveness. “You won’t have to. I’m yours. Laspar4Life.” He wiggled around and sighed. “Want to finish this in the bedroom?”

Louise smiled. “Bed would be nice. The rug doesn’t offer much support.”

As Caspar sat up, he realized something and became horrified. “Holy shit, I didn’t use protection! Louise…..”

“Ssh.” She said as she sat up, gathering the tatters of her dress. “I’ve been on birth control for a while now, but I’ll keep an eye on myself just in case. Don’t worry. We’ll be careful next time.”

“I don’t have any condoms in the house.” He confessed as he stood up and helped her to her feet. He seriously wished he did have some though. Partially dressed, her hair disheveled, her lips swollen, shoulders bare and her breasts damn near spilling free from her ruined bra was a serious turn on.

“I brought some in the suitcase.” She said as she kicked off her surviving shoe and meandered towards the bedroom. “Along with some other things I thought we could have fun with. We have a week to make up for lost time.” She casually unclasped her bra and looked over her shoulder at him. “Coming?”

Caspar snatched the suitcase and took off after her, body hard and heart thrumming.

* * *

 

_Being on top was overrated_ , he thought as the pleasure crested and his eyes went cross.

* * *

 

This was the second time in their relationship that he made her breakfast. I mean, he made _HER_ breakfast.

* * *

 

Louise went on set with him and people commented on how absolutely happy he looked. At every break, he kissed her, and at first she was shy about it, but no one commented. A few girls gave her the stink eye, but she stared right back.

* * *

 

They were NOT having a quickie in the trailer! Just. No.

* * *

 

Dinner, Lush bath bomb, a huge whirlpool and Caspar Lee nibbling at her neck. Divine.

* * *

 

Louise loved, loved, LOVED Caspar’s long fingers. Especially right now and especially right there.

* * *

 

A blind folded Caspar was an instrument and with every pluck of her fingers, he sang.

* * *

 

This was the first time she’d ever been tossed out of a movie theatre for being loud. It didn’t help that Caspar had snuck his hand into her bra.

* * *

 

Somewhere between the kissing, the foreplay and the insanely good sex, they did talk about their problems.

“I do want you to come meet the family.” He said pillowed against her perfect breasts, his hand currently caressing her hip, soothing a bruise that was forming.

Louise stroked the long length of his back. “I do too, but I’m not ready. I just want to be perfect when I meet them. I don’t want to disappoint them and you.”

“Louise, you’re not perfect and I mean it in the best way.” He said quickly, kissing a soft patch of pale skin. “You’re funny and clumsy. You panic, you rage. You cry for anything. You love kids and cats and you make the funniest drunk. You take too long to get ready and your battle with tights is ridiculous.”

“I sound like a complete mess.” She mused.

“No, you sound like the exact same person that my family has been watching on Youtube for the past couple of months since I mentioned you.” He said with a cheeky grin. “And guess what? They still want to meet you, but I know you get nervous so I will wait until you’re ready.”

“I want to meet your mum and sister. They look like lovely women.”

“They do come up to London once in a while to visit. Maybe that would be better?”

Louise’s eyes lit up at the chance. “I would definitely like that. Hopefully very soon. It’s only fair since you’ve met my family.”

“Does your dad like me? How about your sister? She’s quiet and all, but she can be intense.”

“My dad likes you. He thinks you’re a nice young chap.” Louise said recalling the last time her father asked for him. “And yes, my sister can be intense, but it comes from how we grew up. We’re rather protective of each other.”

Caspar remembered those conversations where she revealed a family life he could not have fathomed. He looked at the bruise he left on her in a fit of passion and suddenly wanted it gone off her beautiful body. “I need to be more gentle with you.”

She followed his eye line and smiled faintly before covering his hand in hers. “You don’t have to be gentle, just stay with me, Caspar and keep me in your thoughts wherever you go, because you’re in mine.”

“You’re always on my mind. I promise.”

Neither wanted to week to end, but it did and they made the most of their time before she had to go back. This time they promised to talk nightly and to be patient with each other. Sometimes Caspar was cranky and sometimes Louise was weepy, but they made sure before they day was done, they sent a single message.

**_LASPAR4LIFE_ **

* * *

 

Caspar wrapped up his part of filming and flew back to London. He only had two weeks before he had to fly to South Africa to spend the holidays with his family, so he and Louise decided that they would have an early Christmas beforehand.

The first day they were alone and they made good use of it. To Louise’s knowledge, no one had ever made the metal headboard of her bed bang so hard against the wall nor had she ever held the bars for dear life as her lover wrecked complete and total sexual havoc on her body. A deprived Caspar made for a very horny one, not that she was complaining. Nor could she; her voice was hoarse.

That day was so satisfying and the days after that only proved to be sweeter.

He hated the cold, but cuddling Louise was worth it. In those quiet days in Northampton he felt at home. Even the cats tolerated him, but it could’ve been the cat toys he gifted them. Darcy invited him to her school’s Christmas pageant and he couldn’t fail her.

Louise wanted those days with Caspar to last forever. He burnt the toast, but made Darcy laugh. The burrito blanket they had made of themselves those mornings were the warmest and happiest she’d had in a while. Watching him have a pleasant conversation with Matt and his girlfriend at Darcy’s school was touching. To think she almost rejected him. Thank God she didn’t.

They opened their gifts early. Darcy had given him slippers and he gave her a proper little camera bag which delighted her. Louise gave him a small framed picture of themselves and Darcy to take back home that almost made him teary-eyed and very glad about what he gave her.

When he placed the small jewelry box in her hand, she actually trembled.

“Caspar, you aren’t-”

“Just open it.”

Already welling up, she opened the box and let out a sigh at the copper linked bracelet. On a flat heart-shaped charm it was simply written: C + L

She put it on and vowed never to take it off.

Eventually, he had to get ready to go back. Before he left he had an important question to ask Louise.

“I was wondering, do you think I should start leaving some stuff here so I don’t have to carrying everything back and forth?” He asked at the train station.

Louise’s eyes lit up. “I think that makes absolute sense. I should start clearing some space in the wardrobe and bathroom. We should’ve done that a long time ago.”

He smiled. “Great.” He sobered as he touched her face. “I’m going to miss you while I’m down there.”

She kissed his fingertips. “I’m going to miss you too, but I promise I will go down there with you soon.”

“Laspar4Life.”

“Laspar4Life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you think Louise and Caspar are doing? I think I'm getting better at the smutty stuff. Whatcha think?


	18. A Tear Before Smiling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final end of a relationship, wedding bells approach for some, and a gift is wrapped in a pink satin bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More smut. Oops.

Far away Caspar was having a quiet dinner with his family. He only had about five more days before he had to return to cold London and usually it gave him a pang to leave warm South Africa, but Louise and little Darcy were waiting for him to come back and he was eager to join their side.

A phone rang and Emily frowned as her son pulled it out. “Caspar, I asked you not to have it with you-”

Caspar smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t want to miss a call if it was Louise. And it is! Excuse me.” He answered quickly. “Hi!” The sunny smile disappeared when he heard silence, then tears. “Louise, what’s wrong?” He looked at his family before getting up from the table and leaving to go outside.

Louise felt all kinds of idiotic, but didn’t know who else to speak to. “I’m sorry, I just needed to someone to talk to. I’m ruining something, aren’t I?”

“No, I was just having dinner with the family. Please, Louise tell me what’s going on? Are you and Darcy alright?”

“Darcy came back from her father’s and she told me that he announced his engagement to his girlfriend.” She sniffled. “And I don’t know, something inside me just broke at the news. I mean, I knew we were never reconciling, but this feels like a permanent end, you know? And it just made me so sad.”

Caspar didn’t completely understand, but he realized that he needed to listen and reassure her. “I’m sorry. Do you….still have feelings for him?”

“I always will; he’s the father to my child, but I need you and I wish I had you right here with me so much that it hurts.” She admitted. “I just feel very alone.”

“You’re not alone.” He said. “And I’ll be with you very soon. If you want I can push my flight earlier-”

“No, no, don’t do that. I’m just being silly. Your mum needs you and I know how much you miss her. I wouldn’t waste a minute if I had time with my mum…..and I’m making myself sadder.” She murmured, sniffled and sighed. “I love you, Caspar.”

For all the times she said it, he never tired of hearing it. “I love you too. I’ll come home soon and we’re going to get under the biggest fuckin’ blanket you have and watch some Star Wars movies.”

She chuckled softly and he grinned in triumph. “That sounds fuckin’ perfect.”

Later that evening as Caspar was settling in for the night, his mother came to speak with him.

“So what was the call about. It sounded serious.” Emily asked.

“Louise was just feeling lonely.” He said, then paused. “She found out her ex-husband just got engaged.”

“Ah, that is big news. It would be rather upsetting.” She mused.

“Is it? I don’t understand. They’ve been divorced for so long and now she has me so why would she be upset? You weren’t upset when Dad remarried.”

Emily gave her son a loving look before sitting down on the bed. “Of course I was upset when your father remarried, Caspar. He used to be mine and we promised to be together in thick and thin and instead he found it with someone else. You don’t take such vows lightly and if your Louise is troubled it only shows how seriously she had believed in her marriage.”

Caspar listened quietly and sat next to his mother. She touched his shoulder and kissed him. “It doesn’t affect how she feels about you and it doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong in your relationship. It just means that she’s grieving a bit over something she thought would last forever.”

His mother’s words brought some clarity to his confusion and he felt better. “She told me she wished I was next to her. I offered to take an earlier flight, but she didn’t think it was necessary.”

Emily stroked her son’s hair. “You’re a good man. I suppose you do love her then since you usually try to extend your time here.”

“Do you think, I dunno, that it might be too early to be thinking about……um……something permanent with her?” He asked, scratching his head and looking down modestly.

“I honestly can’t say, Caspar.” She said, catching his eyes as he looked up. “I would like to meet her and her lovely girl before you consider it.”

“Any chance you guys can come up to London?” He asked hopefully.

“To meet Louise, I will definitely make the effort.” She assured. “Then perhaps I can advise you on your decision on permanency.”

* * *

 

The new year began better than the year before. Caspar had started pining for Louise and now celebrated being in her life. They’ve gotten through most of the awkwardness and had found that comfortable place where they weren’t fazed by anything. Well, almost anything.

Caspar came home to his friends and his girlfriend, determined now to keep the relationship going and inevitably, at least in his mind, lead it to its final union.

First major thing to kick off the new year was their first anniversary, which he decided was their first lunch date that took place a week before Valentine’s Day. He was determined to make it a memorable one.

Louise knew Caspar wanted to do something romantic and she had to admit that she was very excited to see what he’d do. Despite his occasional forgetfulness, and childlike impulses, he was quite thoughtful and romantic when the event called for it. He told her to come to the Gleam Office already dressed, which she did.

When she arrived, it was lunch time and most of the Gleam staff were either eating or out having lunch. Maddy was there to greet her with a wide smile.

“He told me to tell you that he’s in the empty meeting room and that you know which one.” She hugged Louise. “He’s so sweet.”

She did know which one and she hurried her way over there. Going inside she was stunned by what he had done. The plain, sterile room was festooned with flowers and candles, but the most delightful thing was the meal…..

“Sandwiches!” She chuckled as she entered. “With a Starbucks drink.”

Caspar, in a nice button up, beamed and offered a chair to her. “Happy Anniversary.”

“I never thought I’d ever find a sandwich so endearing.” She confessed before gathering his handsome face in her hands and rising to kiss his smiling mouth. “I love you. Of course, this is not our first anniversary.”

He rolled his eyes at her as he pulled the chair for her to sit. “We’ve been over this. Yes, it is. This time last year we had our first date.”

“I didn’t even know it was a date!” She protested teasingly as she gracefully sat. “You offered to get my lunch. I wasn’t expecting the picnic blanket, the sad little daisy and the fold up shoes.”

“It was the first real move I made on you.” He countered taking a seat across from her.

“Liar, you asked me out at the Christmas party. Twice. Remember?”

“Okay, this was my first _successful_ move on you.”

She took a sip of her drink and hummed in satisfaction. “You did send me those roses and there were candles. I suppose it was our first date then.”

“Yes!”

“But then what do we call our date at the museum?” She asked, curious.

Caspar thought about it. “A near disaster.” He concluded before taking a messy bite of his sandwich.

Louise instinctively passed him a wad of napkins. “You did put your foot in it.”

“Don’t want to think about what would’ve happened.” He agreed, then smiled. “I’d rather think about what has. What will.”

She blushed hotly. Lately he’d become bolder about their future and she must admit it made for a knot of thrills and chills in her stomach. “What will? Well, I know a little something about what will, as in, happen tonight.”

Caspar’s blue eyes widen and his nose flared slightly as if he just caught an alluring scent.

Louise gave him a sultry look before reaching across, grasping his chin and lovingly closed his parted mouth.

“Chew, my love.”

The rest of the afternoon, they did something they’ve spoken of, but never actually done. The couple’s massage. Louise had self-pampered and gone out on spa days with her girlfriends; Caspar had never done anything like it. Being cleaned, washed, massaged, coddled and wrapped in soft robes felt so good. Though the hot stones burned and gave him a reason to yelp.

The evening of their romantic anniversary ended back at their place where Caspar had gone the extra mile again and created the romantic nest in their bedroom. Freshly washed sheets, tender scents in the air and soft lighting from faux candles. He was determined to pleasure her tonight, to have her melt.

Louise, however, was determined to have things her way. She petted and soothed him until he was puddy in her hands and she made tender work of his clothes. Truly she should savor the undressing of Caspar more. His body was fit and well-made and she loved running her hands all over him. Once he was naked and sat neatly on their bed, she put a sleeping mask over his eyes and told him to wait.

Caspar knelt on the bed, blind and eager; his fingers thrumming excitedly on his thighs. He felt movement around him and sighed at the scent of her close by.

“Happy Anniversary, my love.” She murmured.

He took off the mask and blinked, then blinked again and gasped lightly, because just a touch away was his girlfriend in a pale pink, satin chemise. _THE_ chemise.

Heat exploded in his gut and his hands reached out to grasp her, but she grabbed them and kissed his fingers. “Gentle.”

It was a simple little bit of fabric, it should not have affected him so much, but how he had spent _weeks_ imagining it on her and to see it now, enfolding her beautiful body, the lace teasing her thighs, the fabric outline the curves of her breasts, the fragile straps over her round shoulders. Blonde hair spilled and curled freely over her beautiful face. She was stunning.

His fingers traced and smoothed over the fabric, caressing her body with such devotion that it made Louise shiver with delight. He cupped her breasts and they both moaned in appreciation. Her nipples peaked easily against the satin and he hungrily captured, pleasuring the sensitive bud with his tongue through the fabric.

Her hands ran over his shoulders and back, manicured nails stroking the familiar spots that made his muscles tremor. She smiled at the happy hum he made.

Caspar snuck his hands under her chemise and found her bare. Large hands cupped her generous bum, then wrapped his arms underneath them. Before she could suspect, he suddenly lifted her up.

“No!” She shrieked unexpectedly, “You’re gonna drop me! You’re gonna drop me!”

He giggled and carefully spun them around, shifting awkwardly on his knees. “No, I’m not.”

“Oh my God, Caspar, what are you doing??” She squealed as she was laid down on the bed with a _whump!_ Her beautiful hair spilling out wildly on their pillows.

Caspar continued chuckling as he draped himself comfortable on top of her, cupping her face in his hands. “Being cute and spontaneous.”

Louise snorted and rolled her eyes at him. “You’re such a little blighter.”

He stroked her nose with his. “Your blighter.”

“I’m lucky.” She said before drawing him down for kisses.

Their love making was slow, exquisite. Their bodies aligned perfectly as their bodies met and drew back again and again.

Usually there was a rush to their rhythm. Caspar adored making her cum more than once, but tonight he exercised patience, allowing himself to enjoy the sensation of her hands over his body, of her mouth kissing his, or the moans that she uttered.

Louise murmured with pleasure, he felt so good inside her and the desire ebbed and flowed over her nerves like calming waves at sunset. He moaned and whined gently against her ear; his breath hot, exciting her. He swirled his hips in just the right way and her back arched instinctively.

The satin pink slip bunched around her waist and the straps hung around her arms. She looked completely and utterly debauched underneath him and her rhythmic gasps told him she was close.

He watched her lovely face flush red as she cried out in ecstasy. Her body tightened and fluttered around him and he gritted his teeth, fighting back the urge to come.

Louise was gasping for air, reeling in her pleasure when she realized that her lover wasn’t done. His pace didn’t cease and she stared up at him as he continued his firm, deep thrusts.

“Caspar!”

“Oh my God….” He choked out as he concentrated on his control. He’d never done this, never had the patience for it, and he wasn’t prepared for the pleasure bordering on pain that was shooting through his body. Everywhere her hands touched was now agony. Every little noise she made filled his ears. The noise their bodies made was obscene and the heat unbearable.

Her body was lax and open and beyond her control. Another peak was coming and with Caspar’s large hands pinning her hips to the mattress she could do nothing to stop it. Her thighs tightened and trembled hard, moaning pathetically.

The climax came like a bolt and his body snapped like a bow with a shout torn harshly from his throat. He ground himself aggressively against her and she came with a silent cry.

The heat was unbearable and they slumped apart, gasping for breath.

After cooling down a bit, Louise finally spoke. “Oh God, Caspar….” She sighed. “….Thank God for the condom.”

Caspar turned his head to her direction. “Why?”

“Because I’d almost certain to be pregnant.”

He chuckled. “Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one, sorry. I got family visiting for a couple of weeks.


	19. You're Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealousy, possessiveness and meeting the family.

A few weeks after that amazing anniversary, Louise managed to coax Dan and Phil out to have lunch with them. The two tall, dark haired flat-mates had been one of the few who did not have a strange reaction to the news that they were dating. Caspar seemed to have forgotten his petty jealousy of Dan and Phil’s tender attention towards his girlfriend until it came roaring back when they hugged her with such enthusiasm. He knew he was being ridiculous when he watched Louise fuss over each man’s handsome face. They glowed under her attention, especially Dan. Dan who would never like to touch anyone loved to touch Louise. They weren’t being rude though and they did include him. He knew both men were harmless and though he did his best to give them his attention, his eyes drifted on every single little thing Louise and Dan did together, which wasn’t much and he was started to feel a little foolish.  

 Dan smirked a bit at Caspar. “I’ve never seen you so possessive before.” He mused aloud.

“I’ve never had to be, but Louise has a lot of guys who want her.” Caspar replied before eating a fry.

Louise rolled her eyes at him before taking a napkin and wiping the corner of his mouth. “I do not have a lot of guys who want me.”

“Yes, you do.” All three men said in unison.

She blushed furiously at the compliment and Caspar beamed, kissing her pinkened cheek.

“I know _they_ want you.”

Dan and Phil’s eyes widened.

“Do not!” Phil said.

Dan nudged him hard and Phil realized how rude it sounded and hastily added. “I mean not in a romantic way.”

“I love Louise, but I know I’d be terrible for her.” Dan added. “I’m far too lazy to commit to anything except my laptop.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself, Dan.” Louise said. “I thought Caspar was too young and immature, but he’s proven to be quite lovely.”

Caspar squeezed her tight against him in thanks. He probably would’ve kissed her too if it wasn’t for a look that came over Phil’s face.

“I think we have cameras on us.”

Louise quickly pushed away from Caspar and straightened. “Where?”

Dan smiled tentatively and there was a soft sound of squeals from a gaggle of girls. “Outside. We’ve been spotted.”

Caspar stretched out and sighed frustratingly. “I hate this. Can’t even hold my own girlfriend in public.”

“Relationships are hard to keep for us Youtubers.” Dan agreed quietly.

Luckily, the girls weren’t permitted to enter the restaurant and they could leave in peace later.

After they parted with the two men, Caspar continued to gripe about the hidden aspect of their relationship and Louise did her best to sooth him.

“Did you know that KSI tried to hook me up with some girl during our last collab?” He told her as they got changed for tonight’s event. “I had to make him swear on his mum before I told him I was dating you.”

“You told him you were dating or dating me?” She asked, putting on her earring.

“Dating you. He was surprised and he did say something but probably not something you’d like to hear.”

“Good Lord, was it rude?”

“It was kind of a compliment, but I’d rather not say.” He said, belting himself up. “If he had been rude I’ve would’ve straight up punched him.”

Louise smiled at him from across the bathroom. “You would defend my honor, Caspy?”

He winked at her and blew her a kiss. “Obviously.”

* * *

 

When it came to large parties with an unfamiliar crowd, Youtubers tended to stick together.

Zoe’s anxiety tended to kick up in large crowds and needed all the support she could get. Louise was more than happy to be by her side, especially since she couldn’t be seen with Caspar who had been whisked away by his management to meet people about projects. They quickly found Hazel who was quite good at focusing the mind on light topics.

Caspar made his rounds, obediently talking to those people that his people thought would be good to know. One person in particular was quite flattering.

“It’s a shame you aren’t in more films.” She looked at him admiringly. “You’re gorgeous.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Thanks, I think it’s the accent. Too heavy.”

The woman shrugged, brushing her long hair back. “Nothing a couple of sessions with a speech coach can’t fix.”

“Yeah maybe.”

“I would love to help you out.” She smiled flirtatiously. “I’m good with tongue exercises.”

Caspar quickly realized what she wanted, but he kept his smile in place. ”That’s nice, but I can do that at home.”

“Oh, with your girlfriend?” She asked.

Caspar wanted to say yes, but they had made an agreement early in their relationship to reveal nothing. “It’s…um…complicated.”

“Huh, well you’re in luck. I am very uncomplicated.” She swayed her body closer to his. “I like to be simple and direct.”

“Yes, you are.” He replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets, trying to think of how to lose this woman. “However, I’m not looking for some company tonight.”

“You sure I can’t convince you.” She traced his chest with delicate fingers and he tried to nicely put her off.

Off in the distance, three women watched, peeved.

“Quite a mating ritual she’s doing.” Hazel said drily before sipping her cocktail.

“Mm.” Agreed Zoe with a delicate quirk of her brow. “Breasts out and everything.”

Louise said nothing, just looking at the woman in front of her boyfriend. She hated, hated when her mind went into what-ifs and made comparisons, but there they were spinning cruel little stories. She was young, blonde and beautiful; just the way Caspar liked them.

Hazel took one look at Louise and sighed. “Honey, don’t you dare.”

“I feel so old.” She blurted out before turning around to order another shot.

“And Caspar knows how old you are and he’s still with you, isn’t he?” Zoe pointed out.

“I wish she were gone. I want him here.” She whined before taking a drink.

“Looks like he wants her gone too.” Hazel gestured towards them. “You could just go get him. He is _your_ boyfriend.”

She shook her head. “We agreed that we wouldn’t make a scene in public.”

“You two are always together at conventions, Chummy.”

“Conventions are different. Youtubers understand other Youtubers generally.” Hazel replied.

Yes, youtubers understood the trails and tribulations of being in a relationship, but that was not the problem. Caspar had to shake this beautiful woman off of him without revealing their relationship and she couldn’t just step in and make her claim without feeling judged.

Her green eyes drifted over to her boyfriend once more just in time to see the girl try to initiate a kiss. Caspar twisted his head away from the woman and she felt her blood boil.

_It’s not fair!_ Her mind thought and she rushed to the restroom to get ahold of herself. Startled by her sudden escape, the other women followed after.

Louise mopped the tears from her face. She shouldn’t be so upset, she had seen Caspar dodge the girl’s kiss, but it had hurt to see him work his charms so easily with others, especially with those girls who looked at her boyfriend with a glint in their eyes. She wanted to pull him away, to keep him by her side, but in public they had to place it safe and sometimes the distance was painful.

Zoe and Hazel formed a cocoon of safety around her in the restroom as she tried to regain control of herself.

“This is the price I pay for loving someone so handsome.” She sobbed.

Zoe sighed in sympathy. “Chummy, you know he would never hurt you.”

“He didn’t even really do anything wrong.” Hazel pointed out.

“But he’s mine and I hate that I can’t tell the world that he’s mine without the backlash.” She gladly accepted a tissue and blew her nose. “Why am I so scared?”

“Trolls and haters and critics. They are unfortunately part of the life we’ve chosen.” Hazel said sagely. “You’ve been lucky not to receive so much of it.”

“Why do I get the feeling I’m going to get the worst of it when it finally gets out?”

“Because people love to judge women harder than men.” Zoe replied, stroking her friend’s hair back. “It’s not fair. But whenever I felt judged at every step, I had Alfie and you have Caspar. He won’t bend to them, not ever.”

Louise believed that, truly, with all her heart, but the stress of the secret and the terror of the truth overwhelmed her more than soul could handle right now. She nodded in agreement and hugged her friends tight. “Thank you….um….I think I should go home. I’m in no fit state to party.”

Zoe summoned Alfie who quickly summoned a taxi for Louise. Determined to leave unnoticed, her friends hurried her out.

Caspar, who had managed to wrangle himself out of the beautiful girl’s attention and was now in the safe company of friends, just noticed his girlfriend disappear out the nearest exit.

His stomach dropped and he charged through the crowd to catch up to her. Only to be stopped by the beauty. He moved around her.

“Are you sure you’re not interested?” She asked smartly.

“Sod off!” He said, impatient. “I got a girlfriend.”

He left her standing, stunned.

He took off running once he got outside. He saw Zoe, Hazel and Alfie by the taxi Louise was in and before Alfie could close the door, Caspar stopped it, startling all of them.

“Thanks.” He said breathlessly to them. “I’ll make sure she gets home safe.”

“You do that.” Alfie said.

Caspar smoothly got inside and gave the driver his address before turning to look at Louise.

“Louise, I didn’t-”

“I know you didn’t and I’m not mad at you. I just got angry and then upset because I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“You don’t have to do anything. I won’t ever give you a reason to.” He assured her fervently. “I love you.”

The sincerity in his eyes were too much for her and she burst into tears again. Caspar pulled her in his arms and held her tight. As he held her, he thought about tonight and became angry. Angry that he had not been there to comfort her first, angry that the girl couldn’t take a hint, angry that their situation had to be so secretive.

By the time they reached home, Louise was exhausted and Caspar had had enough.

He coaxed her to the bathroom to refresh herself and as she did, he grabbed his phone and began a series of messages to various forums.

When Louise meandered out, she noticed that Caspar hadn’t even changed out of his clothes and was focused intensely on his phone.

“Caspy, what are you doing?” She asked.

He got up from the sofa and showed her his phone.

There on his twitter it said:

**_Ladies and Gents, you had your chance, but I am officially off the market!_ **

Louise gasped and looked at her boyfriend in wide eyed shock. “Caspar are you crazy??”

“No, I’m serious.” He stood up. “I’m not saying we should put up a video on Youtube and declare ourselves. I just want the world to know that I have a girlfriend. They don’t need to know _who_ you are, just that I got one and I’m not up for anything these girls might want from me.”

She looked down at the tweet thoughtfully. “I’ve done that with my exes before.”

“Exactly.”

She looked at the tweet again before pressing send, then looked up at Caspar and smiled faintly. “Let the speculations begin.”

Fans went through a series of emotions; from shocked, to pleased, to jealous, to angry, to curious. Who was the girl that finally nabbed Caspar Lee? Theories ran wild, but no name emerged that they could focus on. It also didn’t help that any girl next to him was considered his girlfriend and he had so many “girlfriend” videos that it just caused confusion. Louise was fine with that. The less they suspected her the better.

When a couple weeks later Louise posted a video about having a new boyfriend, only a few started to suspect #Laspar, but most of her fans were just genuinely happy that she found someone new. They had their own theories of course with the usual suspects, which just made Caspar crazy with envy that he wasn’t even in the top three.

“Why is it always Dan, Joe or Marcus??” He whined pathetically as he went through the comments of her video one night while with his friends.

Joe laughed and Josh snorted.

“Maybe it’s because you’ve only collabed with her three, maybe four times?” Joe offered.

“Or it could be that Dan and Louise have better chemistry?” added Josh.

“Joe’s got more history with her than you do?” said Jack, texting.

“Doesn’t everybody want a piece of Marcus?” finished Conor.

“I hate all of you.” Caspar said. “She’s my girlfriend. She loves _me._ ”

Joe leaned back to focus on his friend’s frustrated face. “Of course she’s your girlfriend and I think I can speak for Dan and Marcus and say that none of us have any intentions on Louise, so relax.”

“Dave Erasmus? Again??”

“Can’t say anything about that guy. Talk to Louis.” Joe said sinking back down on the sofa.

“Get off the comments, buddy.” Oli said soothingly, passing him a can of beer. “The less the fans know, the better you guys are off. Focus on more important things.” He lifted his drink to his lips then paused. “Isn’t your mum coming soon?”

Caspar sighed and took a drink before nodding. “Yeah, Louise is all pins and needles. I told her not to worry so much, but she’s not listening.”

“Meeting the parents is a big deal.” Josh mused. “This isn’t the first girl you’ve introduced, right?”

“There’ve been others, but with Louise it’s kind of a big deal.” Caspar tunneled his fingers through his hair. “I know mum will like her. Darcy too. Then I can think of better things.”

“Like what?” asked Josh.

“Like…..making something permanent with Louise.”

The whole group of men stared at him. Caspar stared back. “What? Can’t I?”

“It’s not even been a year.” Mikey said. “You sure?”

“Is it wrong to keep something so good close to you?” He said, shrugging. “I’m just really happy.”

“Well just don’t feel pressured that you should, but if you are then we’re happy for you.” Joe said and everyone agreed. “The only thing you should feel pressured about is which one of us will be your best man.”

Six faces all looked at him with great interest, awaiting his answer.

Caspar swallowed. “Fuck.”

* * *

 

Most of the hubbub died down a bit. Of course, they had to be a little more discreet than normal, but once they were safe in their homes, life carried on. They both however, were little teases by nature and couldn’t help but bait their subscribers with little bits now and then which they ate up. An Instagram shot of Louise’s beautiful blonde hair along with a note saying how soft it was got his fan girls screeching with jealousy. A hand comparison image with a sly message got her fans snickering about size kink. Both sides begged to have their lover revealed, but Caspar and Louise just quietly avoided those questions. One Instagram message got a strong reaction though. For months now he had gone without a single prank from Joe and smugly announced that, thanks to his girlfriend, he was now prank proof.

Joe loved Louise, respected her, and would never do anything to make her uncomfortable, but having Caspar feeling smug and self-satisfied would never do.

When Louise opened the door to the sight of Joe one fine morning in NORTHAMPTON, she was clearly surprised. Before she could say anything he shushed her and came inside.

“Joe what are you doing here??” She whispered harshly, tying her morning robe more firmly around herself.

“Shhhh!” He shushed again. “Where is Caspar?”

“Still in bed- Oh no, Joe, don’t!” She began to protest.

He pulled out a roll of toilet paper and two large water pistols. He gave one to Louise who thoughtlessly took it. “He had it coming. I promise to clean up.” And in a flash he was up the stairs.

Louise sighed heavily and headed towards the kitchen to start breakfast. Suddenly there was a cry of frustration and a cackle of glee. There was a mad rush of feet and Joe zipped passed her and into her garden. Caspar came charging after. Louise offered him the water pistol which he took and used on Joe outside. She casually drank her juice as she watched two grown men act like idiots in her backyard.

Darcy came down, scrubbing her eyes, yawning. “What’s happening, Mummy? I heard noises.”

She pointed out the kitchen window and soon they were both observing Joe and Caspar wrestling for the garden hose in order to spray each other.

“Should I get some towels?” Darcy asked, wide eyed.

“Probably a good idea.” She agreed, deciding to make them clean up before giving them anything to eat.

!!!!!

The phone rang in the middle of the night at Joe’s place. Joe took serious consideration about throwing it across the room, but thought better of it.

“What, Caspar?” He frowned sleepily as he listened. “Why exactly do you need chloroform at 2 am?”

“Because Louise is muttering in her sleep and I NEED to calm her down!” Caspar groaned trying to bury himself into his pillow.

The arrival of his family to London was always a delight for Caspar and this time it was no different. The only addendum was that this time there was an extra hint of excitement because the most important girls in his life were flying in to meet the love of his life.

Which was making said love of his life flip her shit.

Louise kept pestering him with questions about what they like to eat and drink and Caspar was useless because he had the memory span of gnat. He did his best to reassure her that nothing special needed to be done; a simple dinner out would be enough.

“Especially since you cut your hand the last time you wanted to do something nice.” He reminded her. “And also, we still don’t have enough cooking utensils here for you to do much with.”

Louise whimpered in misery and reluctantly allowed him to make reservations at a restaurant. That then brought about the topic of whether Darcy would be joining them. Caspar wanted them to meet her, confident that they would love her. Louise, however, was nervous enough and couldn’t handle the idea of juggling Caspar’s family AND Darcy.

This made Caspar very disappointed and pouty.

They ended up at Zizzi’s which initially Louise was not happy about, but then as they waited outside for his mum and sister, she was rather grateful for since it was a familiar environment and she secretly was grateful to Caspar for suggesting it.

Upon their arrival, Louise observed the absolute joy of the Lee’s reunited. Caspar was so happy to see his mother and sister and they were happy to see him. She could see the pride in Emily Riordan Lee’s eyes as she looked at her children and suddenly her nervousness changed into a familiar pang of bittersweet longing.

Emily noticed the shimmer of tears in Louise’s eyes before Caspar did. “Are you alright?” She asked, concerned.

Caspar turned around, alarmed and instantly went to her side as she did her best to wipe the tears before it ruined her make-up. “What is it? Dammit, I didn’t introduce you. Please don’t-”

“No, no. I’m sorry. It just saw you with your mum and it made me think of my mum.” She explained. She gave Emily and Theodora a watery smile and a weak laugh. “I’m sorry. This was not the first impression I intended to make.”

“There is no shame in loving your mother.” Emily said before offering Louise a comforting hug, then stood back. “If anything, it shows a fine heart.”

She took in a shaky breath and thanked her for her kindness.

Theodora beamed at her mum and stepped forward as well. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve watched a lot of your videos.”

Louise smiled at her. “I’ve seen yours too. Caspar insisted on showing me his favorite ones.”

And just as Caspar had predicted; it went fine.

Throughout the evening the ladies gossiped and discussed many things. Stories about Caspar and Theo’s childhood, Darcy’s life, motherhood, vlogging, the accident and of course, love.

Emily complimented Louise and Caspar on the change done to the flat and admiring of the spare room that had become Darcy’s place.

“I should like to meet her. She seems quite charming.” Emily said a touch wistfully. “I do love children.”

“I was nervous, but I think a possible arrangement could be made if you’re willing.” Louise offered hopefully.

Caspar smiled. “You mean us going up to Northampton? Matt will be okay with it?”

“I don’t see why not. A little visit won’t hurt and she’s been asking so many questions.”

Caspar fist pumped and the ladies giggled with amusement.

A few days later, they all made the trip up Northampton and Caspar was pleased with the growing rapport between the three, not realizing that in return he was being observed by his family and his own interactions with Louise. It was even more evident when they went out to eat with Darcy. The little girl was apprehensive about meeting them, but opened up when she was allowed to ask questions to Emily about the book. She gravitated towards Theo and they developed a quick friendship that pleased everyone.

When an unexpected mudslide prevented Emily, Theo and Caspar from returning back to London. Louise quickly scrambled to make her little house ready for overnight guests.

Darcy happily showed them the spare room while Caspar went off to get them the airbed, fresh sheets and towels.

In the moment that Darcy played hostess to the ladies, Caspar noticed Louise releasing a long sigh.

“Are you going to be alright?” asked Caspar.

She stroked the linen on her arm and smiled faintly. “I hate unexpected changes…….But I like them. I rather knew I would.” She reached out and stroked his chin. “You?”

“I’m fine. I’m actually very happy.”

“Oh?”

“The four most important girls in my life are under one roof.” He grinned.

Said so honestly, with such genuine joy that Louise felt herself about to tear up. She coaxed him down for a sweet kiss. “Caspar Lee, you are such a love. A forgetful love, but my love.”

He grinned.

Emily had climbed up to offer her services only to observe the tender moment. She knew her son – despite the tall, muscular frame- was a kind soul and it was nice to see Louise treat him with care.

Before they left, she made a promise to herself to have an honest one-to-one with her.

* * *

 

The next morning made for a crowded breakfast. After everyone had their bathroom time, Emily offered to help Louise make breakfast while Darcy dared Caspar and Theo to a jumping contest on the trampoline outside.

Louise smiled appreciatively as she watched them shouting about and Caspar grabbed Darcy protectively when she was about to take a tumble.

“Sometime he amazes me how much he’s grown. I remember our first meeting.”

“He was just a child himself when he left my house.” Emily recalled.

She smiled softly. “I’ll probably cry the day Darcy leaves me.”

“I did. Not too much though, I wanted to be positive about the life he’d lead. Thank God he was with people that cared for him.”

“Joe and the rest of the boys can be quite naughty, but truly, they are the sweetest.”

“You know I always wondered why this whole Laspar thing started.” Emily mused. “You were married at the time.”

Louise sighed. “It was a joke of course. At the time, there was just a small group of us and nearly all were paired off into couples. There was Narcus, Zalfie and Janya. Then there was Joe, Caspar and me. Caspar and I both have flirty personalities and decided to pretend to be Laspar just to poke fun at them.”

“How’d your husband feel about it?”

“I think he found it irritating. I assured him nothing was going on. Truly. Caspar was just too childish for me and he loved the girls far too much.”

“He did……You’re not the first girlfriend that Caspar has introduced me to,” Emily started, “But you certainly are the most interesting one I’ve met.”

“Is it the age?” Louise asked.

“There is that. Plus the fact that you have a daughter from a previous marriage. Plus the fact that you were a longtime friend before being his girlfriend, plus the fact that you are….plus.” She tried to say delicately.

Louise didn’t know how quite to take that statement and replied. “I am not what you thought Caspar would want?”

“Well no. Caspar’s previous girls have been rather….predictable.”

“Mm, blonde, slender, very pretty and clever.” She rattled off. “I am aware, and in the beginning I thought he just wanted some brief fling. I didn’t want to give into him.”

“He was very aware of that and it hurt him to know that he registered so little in your sight.”

Louise felt a pang of remorse at the thought. “Caspar has always been a handsome guy, but he had a type and I had a type and wasn’t fooling myself into believing he was serious.”

“No, I understand. I would not have believed it if a younger man came after me.” Emily agreed. “But now he loves you.”

“He does and I love him.” She declared. “I can’t tell you when it happened. When he went from boy to man for me. Sometimes I’m still scared that he’ll decide he was mistaken and take off.”

“Age makes cynics out of us.” Emily said wisely. “Youth gives us hope.”

“He is that and in a way, he makes me believe that I can hope for more. Maybe marriage, maybe children.”

“I never thanked you properly for counseling him when he lost the baby.” Emily said. “For that I owe you much.”

“I used what little I remembered at Liverpool.” Louise smiled faintly, shrugging weakly. “I couldn’t sit and watch a friend suffer.”

She beamed and suddenly embraced her, which she returned, surprised. “And that is why I believe you two will do well together.”

Meanwhile, Caspar and Theo were having their own heart to heart out on the trampoline. Darcy announced her desire to go to the bathroom, which left them to talk in peace.

“Caspar, are you sure want Louise?” Theo asked, distracting him. “She’s not like any other girl you’ve dated before.”

“I wouldn’t be with her if I didn’t love her.”

“Fair enough, but she is very different from all your other girlfriends.”

“Oh don’t start that! I don’t care that she’s heavy or that she’s older or that she has a kid.” Caspar countered irritably. “She’s worth it. I knew she’d be.”

“Okay, what if mum doesn’t approve?”

He shook his head vigorously. “She will. She likes everyone and everyone likes Louise.”

“What if I don’t like her?” Theo queried.

He turned to look at her wide-eyed. “You’re a liar.”

“Maybe, but I am concerned.” She admitted.

“About what?”

“How you two will adjust as this continues. Being adults, living together, traveling, business, Youtube……marriage.” She said the last word slowly.

The word settled deep into Caspar’s mind. At 22, the word was large and scary. At 28, almost 29, with Louise’s face in his thoughts it was thrilling, yet terrifying.

“I want to marry her.” He said quietly after a long pause.

Theo stared at him. “Wow.”

“Don’t tell me I’m too young. You got married to Andrew around this age.”

“I wasn’t going to, but Andrew and I spoke about marriage, prepared ourselves for it, understood what it would involve, what we’d sacrifice. Caspar, have you done that at all with Louise?”

Caspar said nothing, the line of his jaw flexing in annoyance.

Theo sighed heavily, brushing fingers through her bangs. “You can’t be impulsive, take a spontaneous trip, go clubbing with the boys, drink yourself blind, do dangerous activities because your life won’t be your own. Louise will need you to be there and if you have children, you need to be there for them.”

“I won’t be alone.” He added, cutting through her list. “I won’t wake up to a small flat in London to the sound of silence. I’ll have Louise telling me to wake up and have breakfast. I’ll have Darcy asking me to help with her editing…..” He swallowed heavily. “I’ll have a baby boy or girl who’ll come into my room and demand that we play and I won’t care how tired I am or how bad the day was because I’ll be going home….to my family.” His eyes closed and his hands fisted with longing frustration. “…..Theo, I close my eyes and I can see it in my mind. I don’t dream about the next vacation or the next club or even the next pretty girl. I dream about a home with Louise.”

Theodora was done; done asking the hard questions that she knew her mother wouldn’t ask. Caspar was as bare and as raw as she’d ever seen him. Her little brother was no longer a naïve boy. She stood up and embraced him tightly, then rose up to kiss his cheek.

“Stop dreaming, little brother. Make it a reality.”

Breakfast was announced and they scrambled out of the trampoline, eager for a hot meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice long chapter for you guys to see. I think I'm starting to finish this story, but I don't know if I want a happy or sad ending. Hmmm........


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